Elite 400 reintroduces movies targeting local talent

MOVIE house Elite 400 recently partnered with College Youth Art Club (CYAC) and Five Stars Entertainment to screen local movies alongside blockbuster movies to revive cinema culture in the city.

Considering that Elite 400 is the only remaining cinema house in Bulawayo, the partnership with CYAC comes at a perfect time as there has been an increase of local movie productions.

The main trick, since most movies are readily available on streets pavements, seems to be to introduce affordable tickets and eventually going to the movies becomes an irresistible trend.

Notably, it’s been two years since any local content hit the big screen in Bulawayo. In 2015 Qiniso premiered at Rainbow cinema raising hopes for local content fanatics only to thwart their hopes, ever since local movies in cinemas have been shelved.

But all is set to change as the College Youth Art Club Chairman Crispen Rateiwa said there are plans to ensure that local content finds space on huge screens, but emphasised that quality was one of the major aspects to guarantee success.

“Local movie markers have to re-consider investing in movie productions. We want them to feel challenged to screen their productions at Elite 400. Since Qiniso, a local production that was glamorously premièred in 2015, we have not seen any big local production in cinemas. We need to build on such success,” said Rateiwa.

Despite cut-throat competition in the movie industry, Rateiwa said that international content and cinema standard was healthy for inspiring competition in the local movie industry.

“We want to encourage all our local cinema houses to invest in 3D technology. We cannot have a sustainable cinema culture and creative industry without state-of-the-art cinemas. We need to keep abreast with latest technology,”

Local movie featuring Skyz Metro FM personality Donna N, titled Lost letter is set to premier on Elite 400 on 13 May.