1 June 2026
Bako goes to Seoul: Zimbabwean Film at the 8th Africa Film Festival
A Zimbabwean horror film is coming to one of Seoul's biggest cinemas — and the screening is free. Bako, directed by Tafadzwa Ranganai and produced by Creative Hub Films, will screen at the 8th Africa Film Festival at Megabox COEX from 28 May to 3 June 2026. For the Zimbabwean community in Korea, this is an unusually direct moment of cultural visibility: a homegrown film, shot in Zimbabwe, on a Megabox screen in central Seoul, with admission free of charge. And with the final day falling on a Korean public holiday, there is one obvious day to make the trip. A Zimbabwean horror — and that itself is news Bako is something Zimbabwean cinema rarely produces: a horror film. The story follows four illegal miners who go in search of a tonne of gold inside an abandoned mine, only to be sealed underground by a cave-in. Trapped in the dark, they realise they are not alone — a supernatural force is in the caves with them, and only one of them might make it back out. The film was shot at Mashava (King Mine), a real Zimbabwean mining site, with a Zimbabwean and Botswana-based crew under the Creative Hub Films banner. It premiered theatrically at the Jason Mpepo Little Theatre in Harare on 24 May 2024, screened at the Bantu Film Festival, and went on to a worldwide internet release in May 2025. Now it lands in Seoul. The director: a ZAFTA winner with a clear voice Tafadzwa Ranganai is a seasoned Zimbabwean filmmaker. He won the Zimbabwe Annual Film and Television Award (ZAFTA) for Outstanding Screenwriting for Film for his work on Nevanji, and has credits on popular Zimbabwean television including the series Tangled. Ranganai has been refreshingly candid about the realities of making films in Zimbabwe. "Film funding is a huge challenge in the Zimbabwean film sector," he has said. "Most films you see are funded out of producers' and directors' pockets." He has argued publicly that for Zimbabwean cinema to grow, cinemas at home need to screen local films alongside international features — and that government regulations should require a local film quota. That makes Bako's arrival at Megabox COEX, on a curated international festival programme, more than a screening. It is exactly the kind of platform Ranganai has been calling for — only happening 13,000 kilometres from where the film was shot. Wednesday 3 June: the holiday that lines up The festival's final day falls on Wednesday 3 June, which is the Korean local election day — a statutory public holiday across the country. Most workplaces, schools, and offices will be closed. For anyone who has been wondering how to fit a midday cinema trip around a work schedule, that question answers itself. Wednesday is the day to make the trip. (One small note for Korean nationals reading: 3 June is also voting day for the 8th Local Elections. Polls open early. Vote first, Bako at 13:50.) When and how to watch Bako screens daily at the festival between Thursday 28 May and Wednesday 3 June 2026, at the same slot each day: 13:50 — 15:07 (77 minutes). All screenings are at: Venue: Megabox COEX, Seoul — Screen 10 (86 seats) Admission: Free Reservations: 50% online (in advance) / 50% on-site (day-of only, same-day screenings only)\ \ Doors: Open from 10 minutes before screening, subject to on-site conditions Confirmation: Reservation confirmation will be sent to the contact number provided the day before the screening A reservation check happens at the door, so reservation details must be entered accurately. Other films at the festival The 8th Africa Film Festival programme features five films screening on rotation across the week: Le silence des femmes (Women's Silence) — 11:30 Bako — 13:50 — Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 MWIZUKANJI — 15:40 Zinet, Algiers, Happiness — 17:40 L'anniversaire (The Anniversary) — 19:10 A Cine Talk event with audience discussion will follow the Zinet, Algiers, Happiness screening on Saturday 30 May at 14:00 — worth bookmarking for festival regulars who can stretch the day. Practical: getting to COEX Megabox COEX is in Samseong, Gangnam-gu — accessible by Samseong Station (Line 2) or Bongeunsa Station (Line 9). COEX parking is expected to be heavily congested through the festival, and especially crowded on the Wednesday holiday. Public transport is strongly recommended. If you do drive, a parking discount is available — ₩4,800 for up to 4 hours. After the screening, visit the B2 ticket box and mention "African Film Festival" (or show your reservation/admission ticket) to apply the discount. Show up Free festival tickets are exactly the kind of thing that sells out faster than people expect. The screen seats 86; reservation slots are limited to 50% of capacity; the 50% on-the-day allocation will move quickly. The honest advice: reserve early, and arrive early — especially for the Wednesday holiday screening, which is likely to be the busiest of the week. Whether you are Zimbabwean, broader African diaspora, Korean, or simply curious — a Zimbabwean horror film, made on a shoestring at a real mine in Mashava, now playing on a major Seoul screen, is the kind of moment worth showing up for. Bako — Megabox COEX, Screen 10. Daily, 28 May – 3 June 2026. 13:50–15:07. Free. Public holiday: Wednesday 3 June.
