Introduction

Video film as a genre has made massive strides in Tanzania during the past decade as in other parts of the world. Technological advancement has played a major role in such transformation which has led to the film industry in Tanzania receiving substantial applause but also criticism from various stakeholders for its lack of professionalism compared to Euro-American and Asian films. The purpose of this article is to explore and analyse the current patterns of video-film production in Tanzania and the challenges it faces. With a focus on current practice, this article deals with some of the compliments and criticisms which film producers face. It briefly reviews the historical background to the film industry in Tanzania, current practice, as well as the level of audience participation in the produced films. The case study examples have been influenced by the author's personal involvement in the film production processes in Tanzania, but also refer to the produced films which can be found in the film shops and among street vendors. For this article, Tanzanian films are broadly conceptualized to include those produced by Tanzanians and/or in collaboration with Tanzanians describing Tanzanian lifestyles, issues and politics. When the phrase video film industry is used it represents what Mwakalinga (2010: 16) defined as ‘local, popular, privately funded and commercially based industry that has been criticized for its orientation towards commercialisation and its apolitical stance as compared to African cinema’.