November was an important month for Matabeleland (Directed by Nyasha Kadandara, Produced by Sam Soko), as the film screened at two major documentary festivals.

IDFA – Amsterdam
The film made its Dutch premiere at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) from 14^th November, screening in the Best of Fests section. Nyasha and Soko were on the ground, meeting audiences and sharing the story of the film.

Nyasha participated in the IDFA Academy Talk: How to Collaborate in a Co-Production, alongside Palmyre Badiniere and Eugene Rachkovsky, moderated by Selin Murat. The conversation explored collaboration across the continent and beyond, and the kinds of partnerships that can support equitable storytelling.

Soko took part in a separate panel highlighted by ScreenDaily on fair co-productions, focusing on challenges for filmmakers from the Global South. He spoke about the importance of having local collaborators, ensuring transparency in budgets and contributions, and rethinking traditional co-production structures to make them more equitable. The discussion included insights from other international producers and explored both financial and non-financial contributions to projects.

Screenings at IDFA were met with strong engagement from audiences, creating space for dialogue and reflection around the themes of the film.

DOC NYC – New York
From Amsterdam, the film continued to New York for DOC NYC from 19^th November, the largest documentary festival in North America. The film screened at Village East by Angelika, with Nyasha in attendance to meet audiences and discuss the film.

The screening marked another step in the journey of Matabeleland, sharing African stories with international audiences.