Black Snake, a Zimbabwean feature film produced by Sue-Ellen Chitunya and directed by Naishe Nyamubaya, has been named among the 51 projects selected for the 2026 International Financing & Project Market at TIFF: The Market, the Toronto International Film Festival’s industry platform launching this year.
Presented by Ontario Creates, the programme brings together more than 50 established producers with international financiers, co-production partners and other industry decision-makers. Black Snake is the only African project to make the selection for the prestigious platform.
The film is set in a remote rural village in the mountainous eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. There a family eager to start a new life is forced to face their cultural identity, when the appearance of a mysterious tree coincides with their arrival in the village. This triggers unwarranted attention from the local police, the chief, and the village preacher, while a search for answers to this mystery begins.
The project has previously been developed at the Red Sea Lodge, Film Independent's Global Media Makers residency and Fast Track finance market, Locarno Open Doors, and the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. It won a US $50,000 production award at the Red Sea Souk in December 2023 and CHF 25,000 at Locarno Open Doors in August 2025.
The 2026 TIFF: The Market selection comprises 40 feature films, six series, and five immersive or interactive projects; participating projects are also eligible for awards and additional visibility across its industry platforms.
Naishe Nyamubaya is a filmmaker, passionate about telling African stories. Chimbo Chebere (The Hyena’s song), his first feature film project, slated to shoot in 2024, won the jury prize for development at the Red Sea Souk in 2021, was selected for Cannes Cinefondation’s L’atelier and the TIFF Filmmaker lab in 2022.
Sue-Ellen Chitunya is a 2019 Georgia State University “40 under 40 honoree” and a graduate of the UCLA professional producing program. She is a voting member of AMPAS/OSCARS, and her varied work experience includes programming for Zimbabwe, Atlanta and Slamdance Film Festivals; Post-Production Coordinator on Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame (2019); and Black Panther (2018).
Presented by Ontario Creates, the programme brings together more than 50 established producers with international financiers, co-production partners and other industry decision-makers. Black Snake is the only African project to make the selection for the prestigious platform.
The film is set in a remote rural village in the mountainous eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. There a family eager to start a new life is forced to face their cultural identity, when the appearance of a mysterious tree coincides with their arrival in the village. This triggers unwarranted attention from the local police, the chief, and the village preacher, while a search for answers to this mystery begins.
The project has previously been developed at the Red Sea Lodge, Film Independent's Global Media Makers residency and Fast Track finance market, Locarno Open Doors, and the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab. It won a US $50,000 production award at the Red Sea Souk in December 2023 and CHF 25,000 at Locarno Open Doors in August 2025.
The 2026 TIFF: The Market selection comprises 40 feature films, six series, and five immersive or interactive projects; participating projects are also eligible for awards and additional visibility across its industry platforms.
Naishe Nyamubaya is a filmmaker, passionate about telling African stories. Chimbo Chebere (The Hyena’s song), his first feature film project, slated to shoot in 2024, won the jury prize for development at the Red Sea Souk in 2021, was selected for Cannes Cinefondation’s L’atelier and the TIFF Filmmaker lab in 2022.
Sue-Ellen Chitunya is a 2019 Georgia State University “40 under 40 honoree” and a graduate of the UCLA professional producing program. She is a voting member of AMPAS/OSCARS, and her varied work experience includes programming for Zimbabwe, Atlanta and Slamdance Film Festivals; Post-Production Coordinator on Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame (2019); and Black Panther (2018).