Professional Shorts
Rise
Living on a rubbish dump in Zimbabwe, a defiant young boy sets his sights on becoming a boxer. When he pushes his way into a reluctant coach’s life, an unexpected bond forms in this powerful and tender story about fear, resilience, and the fight to be seen.
Followed by the fiction feature She Dances.
Georgia premiere
DIRECTOR
Jessica J. Rowlands
PRODUCER
Joe Njagu
WRITER
Jessica J. Rowlands
CAST
Tongayi Chirisa
Sikhanyiso Ngwenya
Kelvin Taliana
Cilemeko Tickey Mudenda
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Jessica J. Rowlands is the writer and director of Rise, the first Zimbabwean film to screen at the Tribeca Film Festival. A two-time UCLA Screenwriting Award winner, Rowlands tells tells emotionally charged cinematic stories about outsiders, often blending sports or action with grounded, character-driven drama.