Juma is a poor fisherman who loves telling tales. Amina is the girl who loves to hear his stories. They long to be together, but Amina’s father, Ali, wants a better life for her. Ali finds this in Yustus, a rich but self‐serving young suitor.

Chumo follows the story of Juma, Amina and Yustus as they make choices and sacrifices, with unforeseen consequences. All have their wishes and dreams in an intriguing story of love, ambition, determination and malaria.

The premiere of Chumo in Tanzanian is taking place on June 3, and the film is publicly launching on June 4 in Dar es Salaam.

Chumo has already received critical acclaim. The film premiered in the United States at the Pan-African Film Festival in February 2011 where it was an official selection in the Short Narrative category. It was awarded Best Short Narrative and Best of Projections (best film) at the Northwest Projections festival in April 2011. “Chumo” was also named an official selection for the June 2011 Zanzibar International Film Festival.

Chumo was produced by Media for Development International and directed by Jordan Riber for the CCP-led Communication and Malaria Initiative in Tanzania (COMMIT), a USAID and PMI-funded project that is working to promote positive behavior change around malaria control and prevention.

DVDs of Chumo will be available through commercial distribution, thanks to monetary and in-kind contributions from Stanbic Bank.

COMMIT supports the National Malaria Control Program in Tanzania by implementing a comprehensive strategy for behavior change and communication in the prevention and case management of malaria. COMMIT specifically focuses on malaria prevention and treatment through the consistent use of nets, malaria detection and case management and indoor residual spraying.

Visit the official Chumo website to learn more about the making the movie, cast and crew.

Watch the Chumo trailer.

Learn more about the Communication and Malaria Initiative in Tanzania (COMMIT).