Pontact Productions

Pontact Productions has hosted a crew from Los Angeles filming a series for the History Channel.  What started out as purely a process of facilitating Licences and Permits eventually grew into a major production involving moving crew and equipment between Monrovia, DRC and Kenya and logistics to match any feature film or reality show.  

It has been a good exercise to get Pontact staff back to their usual level of efficiency after the long lay-off.  In March, Pontact shot a pilot for a feature film with a well known European production house.  The film is innovative and exciting, with a very low budget.

LOLA KENYA Screens' " LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS " and " MANANI OGRES " are scheduled for screening at the 17th Jugend Medien Festival (Youth Media Festival Berlin), Berlin, Germany from May 21-25, 2008 and also at Prix Jeunesse, the world's leading television programmes for children festival in Munich, Germany (May 30-June 4, 2008).

While the two films, off the AFRICAN FOLK TALES ANIMATED compilation are in competition in Berlin and will screen in the 'Video-Bar' in Munich.

These films were produced by Lola Kenya Screen and made by children aged 9-15 years during the 2nd Lola Kenya Screen film production workshop (August 6-11, 2007). They have since been shown on KBC Television. They now move across our borders to Berlin and Munich from Tampere, Finland (March 4-9, 2008), Kigali, Rwanda (March 16-30, 2008), Brussels, Belgium (April 14-25, 2008) and Kampala, Uganda (May 1-11, 2008).

AFRICAN FOLK TALES ANIMATED has also been selected for Amakula Kampala International Film Festival in Uganda (May 1-11, 2008) besides being lined up for screening in Kigali, and Rwanda (March 2008).

Produced by Lola Kenya Screen, these films were made by children aged 9-15 years during the 2nd Lola Kenya Screen film production workshop (August 6-11, 2007).

The inaugural production-FILMS BY CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN-won the Grand Prize at the 5th World Summit for Media and Children/ Kids for Kids Africa festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, in March 2007. Since then, there has been no turning back for Lola Kenya Screen that is an annual international film festival, production workshop and market focusing on children and youth in eastern Africa. FILMS BY CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN was shown in Kenya, Poland, Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Holland, among other countries.

Meanwhile, it's thirteen Days to the 3rd Lola Kenya Screen Application DEADLINE!!!

Interested parties have till April 15, 2008 to send in their films and apply for participation in the production workshop, film press, programme presentation, and film jury at the third edition of eastern Africa's premier audiovisual media platform exclusively designed for children, youth and family.

As a respected tradition and a mark of professionalism, under no circumstance does Lola Kenya Screen extend the film entry deadline. So, please, have your film or application material in Nairobi before or on April 15, 2008 to avoid disappointment.

So far, Lola Kenya Screen has received programme participation applications from 50 children and youth in Kenya and films by children, youth, students and adults from Brazil, China, Colombia, Congo-Kinshasa, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Norway, Palestine, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, UK, USA, and Zimbabwe.

Eligible films are those made by children and youth, made with children and youth, and those made for children and youth. In other words, Lola Kenya Screen accepts films made by professionals and amateurs that focus on children and youth. Lola Kenya Screen also accepts family films. Lola Kenya Screen caters to children (6-13 years), youth (14-25 years), and family (26-infinity years).

Zimbabwe and Kenya appear to share a lot in common. For this reason, young Zimbabwean filmmakers are set to attend 3rd Lola Kenya Screen in August in a programme that will see children and youth from both countries engage in some cultural exchange programme.

The film submission details and downloadable entry form are at http://www.lolakenyascreen.or.ke/admin/filmentryform.rtf

Congratulations to LOLA as they continue to showcase films made by youth and children!

CHILDREN AT THE SECOND LOLA SCREEN FESTIVAL PREPARING TO SHOOT THEIR FILMS

Hot Sun Foundation will host its annual HIP HOP Film festival from 11 th to 14 th April 2008 in Kibera. The festival showcases films from "ghettoes" located in other parts of the world. The films are screened at seven video halls in the sprawling Kibera slums and are free for all.

Hot Sun also intends to shoot the feature length film of KIBERA KID later this year, taking on board talent and crew from Kibera itself.

Still from the Hot Sun stable, "SUBIRA", written and directed by Ravneet "Sippy" Chadha is showing in various film festivals around the world, namely:

"Subira" has also been selected by Africalia in Brussels for distribution as part of an East Africa short films DVD to be launched in April 2008.

Ukweli Video Productions by Sheila Mulinya

Ukweli Video Productions has produced the pilot for "Kids and God", a production about children and how they perceive God, religion, the Bible, Heaven, obedience, the Ten Commandments, prayer and sin.

Most often we tend to target our productions to adults and forget that Kids also have their own stories to tell and would do well with such a forum. This programme offered them the opportunity to express their innermost feelings on issues regarding God and Religion..

Produced by Ukweli's Sheila Mulinya, "Kids and God" was entirely funded by Maryknoll Missionaries of the USA through Fr. Richard J. Quinn, the Director of Ukweli Video.

Over one hundred children between the ages of 2 and 11 years are featured in the production. The programme hosts/ presenters are 10 year old Monica Kemoli and 11 year old Trevor Gitonga.

The programme is slated for screening on K24 and Citizen TV.

11 YEAR OLD TREVOR GITONGA and 10 YEAR OLD MONICA KEMOLI- PRESENTERS OF THE TV SHOW "KIDS AND GOD"

Judy Kibinge - Seven Production

Judy Kibinge is working on several projects for her company Seven Productions Ltd.

Her most recently completed project was a short 12 minute film called " Coming Of Age " for the largest documentary project in the world. The film is a reflection of Kenyan's journey to political maturity seen through the eyes of a young girl, also coming of age alongside Kenya.

It is just one of 14 shorts and 12 features in the series; one of which (Taxi To The Dark Side) won best feature length documentary at the Oscars this year. Judy is re-editing it in mid-April to reflect the political events of the last few months."

Coming of Age " follows her last major documentary " Bless This Land " which won best documentary in last years Kenya International Film Festival.  The half hour film shot in 2006 investigated the Land issues dating back to independence that have, in recent days, exploded to the fore.

Judy is also preparing to direct her short screenplay " Killer Necklace " (based on a cartoon of the same name by award winning local animator Alfred Muchilwa) for MNET new directions in the next few months. The screenplay was selected from amongst numerous Kenyan entries late last year and will be her second MNET New Directions film. 

Judy is also continuing with efforts to raise funding for a documentary series that will reflect events that occurred in various neighborhoods after the 2007 elections. 

Idols East by Wangeci Murage (MNET)

To sing or not to sing??? From the dreamers to the drama queens, from the sensational to the shocking, from the talented to the talentless, M-Net's newest season of IDOLS drew them all! But who should have limited their singing to the shower? And who did the right thing by heading off to the auditions?

With the seven scheduled auditions in Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe now completed, M-Net audiences can now tune in to see the series on DStv channel 198.

With the first six episodes focused on the IDOLS auditions, audiences can expect more of the humor and the emotion that has made IDOLS a massive runaway hit around the globe. This time round, with USD 80 000 in cash and a recording contract from Sony BMG as the winner prize, the stakes are high!

The series is hosted by Zimbabwe's Lebo Mzwimbi, and features hit Zambian producer TK Siyandi, Kenyan radio star Angela Angwenyi and Botswana's hip-hop hero Scar as the straight-talking series judges.

For more information on the show, log on to the website www.mnetafrica.com/idols where you can get all the latest IDOLS news.