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Cook Off is a 2017 Zimbabwean romantic comedy film written and directed by Tomas Brickhill. Set in contemporary middle class society of Harare, the film stars Tendaiishe Chitima, Fungai Majaya and Tehn Diamond. Production of the film was delayed by power failures, budget constraints, anti-government protests, and riots which erupted during the final stages of the Presidency of Robert Mugabe. It is the first film released after the Zimbabwe Mugabe era, which lasted for nearly 40 years. The film also became the first Zimbabwean film to be streamed on Netflix. It is the second Zimbabwean film to reach Western audiences and critics since Neria, in 1991. The film received critical acclaim in Zimbabwe , with some drawing comparisons to the cultural influence of Neria and Yellow Card. The film is credited by journalists domestically as a milestone in the Zimbabwean film industry, which has been troubled by economic crisis and hyperinflation.
The portions of the film were predominantly shot on the sets of ZBC TV's reality show , a Zimbabwean version of the popular American reality television show Top Chef. The film shooting proceeded in the sets of the Battle of the Chefs at a time when the show went off-air. The film director Brickhill in an interview with The Guardian revealed that the film wouldn't have materialized without the support of Battle of the Chefs sets and financial support from voluntary donors. The cast members also used the costumes, props and cooking pots from the sets of the Battle of the Chefs.
Popular UK indie rock band Noisettes was roped into feature in the soundtrack of the film. Shingai Shoniwa of the Noisettes band was also roped into play the cameo appearance in the film. The shooting was also delayed on few occasions as few of the cast members were unable to commit to the schedule allocated to them due to the tear gas and riots in Harare which erupted against Robert Mugabe's administration. Despite the odds and obstacles, the film production regained momentum after the infamous successful ousting of Robert Mugabe on 17 November 2017.
It was reported that the American streaming platform Netflix during mid March 2020 sealed a deal with the filmmakers in order to obtain the streaming rights of the film for an undisclosed record price. The director also refused to disclose the amount regarding the Netflix deal. In May 2020, the filmmakers confirmed that the film would be released in Netflix platform in an official announcement in Twitter. It also marked the first instance where Netflix acquired a Zimbabwean film. The film made its debut in Netflix on 1 June 2020 after two and a half years since its theatrical release in Zimbabwe. It also became Zimbabwe's first feature film to be released via Netflix. The film was deemed as relatively unknown by most of the Zimbabwean people until its release in Netflix.
The television rights of the film was bought by the state channel ZBC Television and the film made its television debut on 11 August 2020.
| 2018 | Zimbabwe International Film Festival | Best Feature | |
| Best Actress | |||
| 2019 | National Arts Merit Awards | Best Actress | |
| Best Feature | |||
| 2020 | Cambria Film Festival | Nancy Green Founder's Award - Best Film | |
| Audience Award - Best Feature | |||
| Afrika Film Festival | Student Jury Award | ||
| Ambrosia Film Festival | Best Film |
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