Malawian up-and-coming filmmaker Sam Majamanda says he has hope that his documentary about a 13-year-old boy with disability will win the 2020 Focus on the Ability (FOA) Short film contest.
The contest is organized by the NOVA employment and voting is currently underway.
In his five-minute documentary, the filmmaker shows the life of a Standard 3 learner, Talandira Kogoya, who was born with no palms and only one leg but performs tasks that cement the old saying of disability is not inability.
Speaking in an interview, the Filmmaker said incredible skills depicted by the 13-year-old boy with disability in the documentary have stunned many people from both Malawi and abroad who have shown interest by voting for them to grab the award.
“We have been overwhelmed with response from both Malawians and people from other countries and most of them have expressed willingness to support me and the boy in the movie to win this award and we are really confident that something good is going to come out of it,” Majamanda said.
Project Manager for NOVA employment in Malawi Sylvia Kasiya said the festival seeks to change the beliefs and misconceptions towards values and lives of people with disability.
“Since it’s commencement in 2017 in Malawi, the festival has awarded 8 people with disability and filmmakers in the country some of whom have used the prize money to start reliable businesses and some to further their studies,” Kasiya said.
$5000 AUD (about K2.7 million) awaits the winners, filmmaker and subject, and the online voting process is expected to be closed on August 24.
