Ezra Edelman Filmmaking Masterclass in Harare
The Zimbabwean film sector has received a major boost following a high-level documentary filmmaking masterclass led by Academy Award-winning director Ezra Edelman.
The masterclass was hosted by Almasi Collaborative Arts, the dramatic arts organisation co-founded by acclaimed actor and playwright Danai Gurira.
Edelman, best known for his Oscar-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America, spent several days working with Zimbabwean filmmakers in what Almasi describes as a strategic expansion of its mandate ahead of the 2025 Almasi African Playwrights Conference, which will close out the year.
His visit, made at the invitation of Gurira and Almasi, marks what stakeholders say is a turning point for local storytelling, creating new pathways between Hollywood expertise and Zimbabwe’s growing film scene.
Hollywood Expertise Meets Zimbabwean Talent
Speaking during an interview with the 2 Broke Twimbos podcast, Edelman admitted he arrived in Harare with “trepidation,” uncertain about potential cultural barriers. But, he said, those doubts vanished almost immediately.
“I was incredibly inspired by the group of people I was teaching,” Edelman said. “They weren’t students; they were adults, professionals… extremely bright, curious, passionate. The reference points are not in the dark… they can keep up with what I’m presenting.”
He went on to recount a moment that challenged his own expectations, when one participant broke down his eight-hour documentary into a “five-act structure,” demonstrating the high level of technical and narrative literacy within Zimbabwe’s creative sector.
“The world is much smaller than we think,” Edelman observed, adding that there was “no cultural dissonance” between his process and the work of local filmmakers.
A New Chapter for Zimbabwean Documentary Storytelling
Almasi Arts has spent more than a decade cultivating Zimbabwe’s theatrical talent. Still, Edelman’s workshop signals a deliberate widening of its focus, placing documentary film at the centre of its training initiatives.
“These artists are the translators and messengers of society,” Edelman said of the filmmakers he worked with. “They add necessary colour to a place.”
The masterclass emphasised rigorous preparation, creative discipline, and the universal challenges faced by storytellers. Edelman shared candid reflections on his own career, noting that even the prestige of winning an Oscar does not erase the “pain and suffering” inherent in the creative process.
“Good luck,” he told participants, “is a result of the hard work that you put in. Luck is a residue of design.”
His visit concluded with a public conversation at Moto Republik, where Edelman sat down with renowned Zimbabwean film producer Rumbi Katedza to reflect on his experience and explore future possibilities for collaboration.
A Transformative Year for Almasi Arts
The Ezra Edelman Intensive caps a remarkable year for Almasi Arts under the theme “From Training to Showcase.”
Just weeks earlier, the organisation hosted the Africa Voices Now! Festival (18 October – 7 November), featuring world premieres of three new Zimbabwean plays:
Can We Talk? by Batsirai Chigama
These Humans Are Sick by Tatenda Mutyambizi
The Return by Rudo Mutangadura
Momentum in the arts sector continues this month with the eighth edition of the Almasi African Playwrights Conference (AAPC), running from 8–20 December 2025.
This year’s conference is facilitated by Tony Award-winning producer Mara Isaacs and award-winning playwright Ngozi Anyanwu.
The two-week lab will guide selected playwrights as they refine new works, culminating in free public staged readings at Friendship Bench in Mount Pleasant on 18, 19 and 20 December.
Plays developed through AAPC undergo a further year of mentorship before being staged at Almasi’s Africa Voices Now! Festival.
About Almasi Arts
Almasi Collaborative Arts is a Zimbabwe-based organisation dedicated to developing globally competitive creative talent through training, mentorship and international collaboration.
With a philosophy centred on “craft, not spectacle,” Almasi has trained more than 200 artists over the past 13 years and facilitated five international fellowships at leading US institutions.
Edelman’s visit and the organisation’s expanding scope signal what many believe is a new era for Zimbabwe’s creative industries, one where local voices are not only nurtured but positioned for global recognition.
