Zanzibar International Film Festival

Africa's longest-running international film festival returns to Stone Town each July, with screenings, workshops, and outdoor cinema at the Old Fort.

The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as the Festival of the Dhow Countries, is one of Africa’s most celebrated cultural events and the continent’s longest-running international film festival. Held each July in Stone Town, Zanzibar, ZIFF brings together filmmakers, musicians, and audiences from across the Indian Ocean rim — East Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and the islands that once defined the dhow trade routes.

What happens at ZIFF

The festival runs for ten days and fills Stone Town with screenings, panel discussions, live music, and an outdoor cinema under the stars at the Old Fort (Ngome Kongwe). The Old Fort stage is the festival’s beating heart: an ancient coral-stone citadel built in the early eighteenth century that seats several hundred people on the open-air lawn each evening.

Daytime programming is spread across smaller venues including the Forodhani Gardens waterfront, Kelele Square, and various heritage buildings in the UNESCO-listed Stone Town. Screenings cover feature films, documentaries, short films, and animated works from across Africa and the Indian Ocean world. Recent editions have drawn entries from over forty countries.

The festival places particular emphasis on East African and Swahili-coast cinema. A dedicated competition strand, the Golden Dhow Awards, recognises the best feature film, documentary, and short from the dhow countries region. Winning the Golden Dhow carries genuine weight in the East African film industry and has launched the careers of several regional directors.

Music and cultural programming

ZIFF is as much a music festival as a film one. Evening concerts at the Old Fort feature taarab — the distinctive Swahili coastal music that blends Arabic, Indian, and African musical traditions — alongside bongo flava (Tanzanian hip-hop), jazz, and artists from across the Indian Ocean. Past headline acts have included Bi Kidude, the legendary Zanzibari taarab singer, and groups from Oman, Kenya, and Mozambique.

Beyond music and film, ZIFF runs a programme of craft markets showcasing Zanzibari woodcarving, textiles, jewellery, and spice products. Food stalls at the Forodhani night market, which runs year-round but expands significantly during the festival, serve grilled seafood, Zanzibar pizza (a popular street food made from thin flatbread with egg, meat, and vegetables), and sugar cane juice.

Practical information for visitors

Tickets for outdoor Old Fort screenings typically cost approximately USD 5 to USD 10 per evening as of 2026. Many daytime screenings, workshops, and the craft market are free to attend. Festival passes covering multiple days are available directly from the ZIFF box office at the Old Fort from the first day of the festival. Check the official website for the current year’s pricing and pass tiers.

Stone Town accommodation fills quickly during ZIFF. Book hotels at least two to three months in advance. The main hotel cluster around Cathedral Street and Kenyatta Road is within walking distance of the Old Fort. Budget guesthouses on Suicide Alley (Mlandege Street) cost from approximately USD 30 per night; mid-range boutique hotels in converted Omani mansions range from USD 80 to USD 200 per night; heritage properties such as Tembo Hotel or Zanzibar Serena Inn reach USD 250 and above.

Getting to Stone Town: ferries from Dar es Salaam take approximately two hours and cost around USD 35 for the fast service. Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) receives direct flights from Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and several European charter routes.

Why it matters

ZIFF exists because the dhow countries share a history that colonial borders have often obscured. For ten days each July, Stone Town reasserts its role as a meeting point between Africa, Arabia, and Asia. For film enthusiasts, it offers a rare chance to watch East African and Indian Ocean cinema that rarely reaches mainstream festivals. For anyone visiting Zanzibar in July, it transforms a beach holiday into something considerably more interesting.

The festival has run since 1997, surviving funding shortfalls and the disruptions of 2020 and 2021. It returned strongly in 2022 and has continued to grow its international profile since. Check the official ZIFF website for the confirmed dates and programme as the festival announces the full lineup approximately two months in advance each year.