The recent Zanzibar International Film Festival (held on July 18-26) did not disappoint.

Festival director Dr Martin Mhando said of this year’s event; “The level of films this year surpassed our wildest expectations. Many members of the jury were happy with the high quality of the films. African films in particular stood out for their increased production value as well as innovative story telling. We at ZIFF have been thrilled to present such a varied and wonderful range of films this year.”

Among the winning productions were Samaki Mchangani by Amil Shivji for Best Film in Sound; Best Actor went to Adama Kuambiana for Mr Kadamnja; Best African Film was won by WAZI? FM with director Faras Cavallo; Best Feature Film went to Kutakapokucha and Best Director went to Honeymoon Mohammed. All the films had East African crew.

But the best event of the festival for me was the expert panel discussion on Pan Africanism: Is it dead or alive? at the Old Fort amphitheatre.

It was an hour-long dialogue between the public and a panel of experts.

The host of the event was Chambi Chachage, PhD student in African Studies at Harvard University. The panellists were leading Jamaican contemporary author Erna Brodber, South African filmmaker Xoliswa Sithole, Tanzanian author, teacher, columnist and activist Richard Mabala and the South African High Commissioner to Tanzania Thamsanqa Mseleku.

Before the discussion began, there was a screening of a short film about an expatriate flying into an African city. His expensive watch gets stolen. Later on in the film, the expatriate is flying out of the city and next to him is an African gentleman whom he later learnt is Zambian and who happens to be wearing a watch similar to the one stolen from him.

A dialogue commences between the two men and the expatriate insults the Zambian man but makes no reference to the watch. Rather, he tells him that he’s with the International Monetary Fund and he’s proud of the fact that his organisation is robbing the Zambian government blind through loans and stipulations and says words to the effect that “Africans are just picking up the crumbs and will surely amount to nothing.”

This film set the the tone for the discussion.

Mr Mabala delved into the topic of the day when he said that after attending a political rally in Dar es Salaam, he concluded that the youth were more interested in their immediate needs than pan Africanism when they told off politicians addressing them by chanting: “Tumechoka amani tuna njaa…” (Swahili for “We’re tired of peace, we’re hungry).

He went on to post that the youth of Africa are disillusioned by the leadership and so see no profit in being pan Africans.

Author Erna Brober asked, “The real question, is do we need pan Africanism?” She explained that the pan African movement of the 1920s led by George Padmore, and later Marcus Garvey and C.L.R James was propelled more by these scholars and that the African solidarity of present day, is rather pushed by the common people.

But the High Commissioner for South Africa, Mr Mseleku, heated up the debate by saying: “Pan-Africanism isn’t dead.” He went on to assert that leaders, particularly in the African Union, are working on ways to further develop the continent.

He cited the AU national anthem, whose first lyrics state, “Let us all unite and celebrate together, the victories won for our liberation, let us dedicate ourselves to rise together…to give the best we have to Africa.”

Filmmaker Soliswa Sithole summed up the discussion on a personal historical note: “I am South African but grew up in Zimbabwe as a refugee from the apartheid regime.” She explained how disgusted she was by the recent xenophobic attacks carried out by her fellow countrymen against Africans from other countries.

She cited the economic factor and asked the audience to ask why so many Africans were fleeing to South Africa. She urged African youth to “have the courage to be happy” by taking a stance and to defend their freedoms.

It was concluded that pan Africanism isn’t dead, rather it’s morphed to include an African solidarity that’s married with the economic struggle.

The talk was peppered with the sounds of Brian Mugenyi, the rising saxophonist from Uganda, who was in Zanzibar finalising the recording of his debut album.