Stephen Chigorimbo

Director

Born in 1951, Stephen Chigorimbo began film making in 1974 after landing a part alongside Christopher Lee in the movie Dracula. He quickly found himself behind the camera and rose through the ranks while undergoing professional training as an actor, assistant director and coordinator in the film industry.

A renowned scriptwriter and director, Stephen has produced over 100 documentaries, feature films and television programmes. As a writer and film director, he rose to fame with a popular Zimbabwean soap opera Studio 263 in which he effectively played the role of John Huni.

In recognition of his sterling work in the cultural and creative industries, he was once appointed to serve on the Board of the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe. A founder member of Sithengi, he also served at FEPACI as Regional Secretary from 2006 to 2013.

Locally, Stephen is extremely famous for featuring in Zimbabwe’s groundbreaking and first-ever television soap opera, Studio 263 that premiered in September 2002 and became very well-liked by the country’s populace. Also, he is celebrated by many people as an icon, a director, scriptwriter and actor par-excellence not only in the Zimbabwean film industry but regionally, continentally and internationally as well.

Stephen Chigorimbo was one of the assistant directors for a movie called “Cry Freedom” which featured international actors such as Denzel Washington. Featuring in a movie called “Odium” in 2014 which was directed by ex-mate at Studio 263 Ben Mahaka who played the role of Tom Mbambo was another milestone in his continuing illustrious career in the film industry. Stephen also featured in two prominent movies – “King Solomon’s Mines” directed by actress Sharon Stone and the “Forbidden Fruit” in 2013.

His phenomenal rise to fame in the local movie industry happened when he featured in Studio 263 as John Huni, a central figure in the movie who influenced the flow of every episode. It was in this production where he worked with the likes of Anne Nhira and Tatenda Mavetera who later became influential figures in the local film industry. Studio 263 was a launchpad for most actors’ careers, yet Chigorimbo was marking a third decade in the arts industry when he joined the soap.

The film industry in Zimbabwe owes its growth and development to iconic gurus in the mould of Stephen Chigorimbo. Many practitioners today draw inspiration from his outstanding and groundbreaking works in the film sector. — NACZ.