Zimbabwe's film economy has been severely affected by years of social, economic and political strife, which peaked around 2000. Among other things, film production has become an onerous endeavour due to lack of financial support and a poor film services infrastructure. As a result, the Southern African nation’s filmmaking infrastructure has suffered greatly. Only piecemeal investment can be found - largely by 'die-hard' entrepreneurs who fund production from their pockets. Inspite of this, an alternative film market seems to strive in the country. Local and international productions alike, flood the streets of most urban centres in what Ramon Lobato (2012) has theorised as a 'shadow economy of cinema'. Against such a background, this paper seeks to map the video-film viewership patterns in Zimbabwe post-2000, when the political and economic crisis worsened. Following on Lobato’s shadow economy theory, the paper attempts to describe the video-film market in Zimbabwe and determine the contexts in which video films are consumed in the country. It seeks to establish who views video films in Zimbabwe and to gain in-depth insights into such viewers’ individual and social experiences. The study is designed as a survey conducted in three of Zimbabwe's major cities, namely Harare, Gweru and Bulawayo. Traders and buyers of video filmic products as well as cinema operators are interviewed to find out the challenges and prospects facing the film viewership economy in Zimbabwe, post-2000.