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Mr. Kaka

Dr. Issa Athumani Mbura

College of Humanities

Creative Arts

Biography

Issa. A. Mbura is Lecturer in Film and Television studies. Issa holds a Ph.D and his research thesis investigated “The impact of Digitalization on the Development of Tanzanian film Industry. Issa also holds a Master degree in Theatre Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Performing Arts with a bias in TV and Film studies. He has published a book (based on his Masters Dissertation) on the Changing Dynamics in Tanzanian Film Industry: A Study of Dar es Salaam Film Audiences[1] and articles about Tanzania film industry and he has worked as Tutorial Assistant and later on Assistant Lecturer at University of Dar es Salaam, School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2009 before his transfer to the Department of Creative Arts in 2023. His research and paper publications interest are on film, TV and Popular Culture. He runs a film, TV and video production studio for the past 8 years, Saseni Media Company, through which, apart from videos and documentaries, he has successfully produced 4 feature films, 3 short films and 3 TV programs. He is a recipient of the 2013 ZIFF[2] Chairman’s/Bi Kidude award for the Most Promising film Director of the Feature length film “Crush” which was also distributed in Tanzanian film market and beyond and TV Broadcast across African Channels. The three short films he produced have been screened at AAFF[3] and ZIFF. He has taught TV and Film studies at both theoretical and practical/technical levels, Screen and Stage Acting, Scriptwriting, Video Production and Editing and Cinematography for aspirants at Certificate, Diploma and Degree level for the past 7 years. He has been engaged in major national and international documentary/video projects such as production of Documentary on Walter Rodney, Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots, 50 years of UDSM etc. For the past 13 years He has produced and/or provide production consultancy services for productions of TVCs, PSAs and TV and Radio Programs for AMREF, NHIF, IOM, TASAF, NEC etc. He participated in Reality Shows and Awards Competition as TAFA[4] 2015, EATV Awards 2016 and Kiwanda cha Filamu/Taxi on Azam TV (2017) where he featured among the Judges. Issa is currently on development phase for his forthcoming film and Tv projects. He also works as a screen actor whereby has featured on films such as Homecoming (2016), Stolen Souls (2018) and recently in the TV series “Juakali” broadcast on Maisha Magic Bongo on DSTV as well as feature film “Still Okay To Date (2022) premiered October 2022. 


 

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Dynamics-Tanzania-Film-Industry/dp/3844381325

[2] Zanzibar International Film Festival

[3] Arusha African Film Festival

[4] Tanzania Film Awards 

Research Interest

Film, Television and Popular Culture

Reception (Audiences), Digitalization, Digital transformation, New technologies, Social Media, UGC etc. 

Contacts

Email:

Projects

Publications

ACADEMIC PAPER: “Mbura I.A. (2022). Effects of on the Three-tier structure of Tanzania’s Film Industry”. In UMMA Journal, Volume 9(1), 2022, 143-160. 

LINK: https://journals.udsm.ac.tz/index.php/umma/article/view/4969

 

 

 

ACADEMIC PAPER #1: “Mbura I.A. (2022). Crux of Bongo Movies from a Digital Disruption Lens”. In UMMA Journal, Volume 9(2), 2022, 57-81”.

LINK: https://journals.udsm.ac.tz/index.php/umma/article/view/5387