One of M-Net's longest running and most creative initiatives NEW DIRECTIONS AFRICA, the developmental filmmaking project that is fully funded by MNET, returned in 2007 with the pledge to make three new 26-minute narrative dramas from three African countries : Nigeria, Zambia and Kenya. 

This year, Judy Kibinge's short screenplay “ The Necklace ”, (inspired and partially based on by a short cartoon strip called “Killer Necklace” by award winning Kenyan animator Alfred Muchilwa) was selected from amongst several Kenyan entries all hoping to produce the Kenyan New Directions films.

DIRECTOR JUDY KIBINGE ON SET WITH THE CREW OF MNET NEW DIRECTION'S "KILLER NECKLACE"

 The “Necklace”, produced by Judy Kibinge's Seven Productions is a drama thriller staged around two young sweethearts, set against the backdrop of an urban African City .

The film will be Kenya 's fourth New Direction film this decade. In 2000, MNET New Directions produced Ingolo wa Keya's “The Baisikol”, followed in 2002 by Judy Kibinge's “Aftermath” based on a story by Andiah Kisia and in 2006, Dada Productions produced “Ras Star” directed by Wanuri Kahiu.

Seven Productions, which opened its doors less than two years ago, will be producing the film with Appie Matere, taking on the challenging role of producer. The production team is confident that this ambitious production (being shot on far less than what it costs to shoot a quality 30 second commercial in Nairobi today) will be an award winner.

The cast of “ The Necklace ” comprises of many fresh, new first – time actors and crew, now a trademark of Kibinge's films. Stars of the film soon to be produced include promising unknown newcomers Stephen Kariuki (a film and television student) and Mary Otieno (stage actress) as the leads supported by well known old pros Abubaker Mwendwa (Makutano Junction), Sam Kahiu and Raymond Ofula (Better Days, Makutano Junction).

This new MNET film with its numerous technological and production advantages promises to raise the bar in Kenyan filmmaking while promoting a whole new batch of young filmmakers and artists

After a quiet start to the year, with only very few film crews coming, it seems like film crews all made up for lost time and descended upon us in April and May.

The 13-part series "The Herd" for Animal Planet remained in Kenya (safely in Amboseli) throughout all the political troubles, and finished filming in May.

The BBC's trilogy "Living with Elephants" crew has now finished filming in Samburu.

BBC Horizon came to film a science programme on Patas monkeys, illustrating a new theory of human nakedness.

Gala Films from Toronto, Canada came to film a promotional piece on bush pilots. It is hoped that a full series will come out of this initiative.

BBC's newest blockbuster series is called "Life" and so far they have been here twice. This is a major series, filmed all over the world that will be of the same high quality as "Planet Earth" but with more animals.

Darlow Smithson Productions from London were here, filming a programme on human/elephant conflict.

Shining Red Productions from Washington DC have filmed a programme on human origins and climate change.

Henry Singer (award winning director of "The Falling Man", "Last Orders") will shortly be starting to film a documentary on the late Joan Root.

There have also been a few little "charity" shoots - to raise funds for Feed the Children, Cheshire Homes, and others.

On the way, shooting later in the year are:

ORF (Austrian Television): a 3 part series on The Great Rift.

BBC: another 3 part series on The Great Rift (they did one in 1988 - this will be updated and shot in HD).

National Geographic: yet another programme on the wildebeest migration. They are also filming the migration of the White-eared kob in Sudan - which hasn't been done for nearly 30 years.

BBC: Big Cat Week this year will be going LIVE from the Maasai Mara. They will be here during September/October and will be bringing 40 tonnes of equipment. The live broadcast to the UK will be in mid October, and these programmes will also be aired on Kenyan TV.

Lola Kenya Screen has announced date changes. The annual international audiovisual media platform/festival, production workshop and market for children and youth in eastern Africa have changed its festival dates from August 4-9, 2008 to August 11-16, 2008.

This has been necessitated by an unscheduled change in the holiday calendar of public schools in Kenya. Lola Kenya Screen regrets this change but cannot help it as our primary target audience is school-going children and youth.

Lola Kenya Screen has also announced the short-listing of applicants to its various skill-development programmes and selected films from 52 nations.

Lola Kenya Screen not only intends to screen special “Prix Jeunesse” programmes but will also focus on documentaries from The Netherlands.

The films to be shown will be categorized and the announcement made to the mass media in Nairobi on June 10, 2008.

A five-day practical workshop, ‘Lola Kenya Screen Kids & Docs Workshop’, will be held with a leading international documentary filmmaker with experience in both coaching professionals as well as working with children.

To participate, each local filmmaker is expected to:

• collect a story of a child ahead of the workshop
• commit oneself to attend all the training sessions without exception
• be ready to make a short documentary film (3-5 minutes) from the training
• apply to Lola Kenya Screen, providing all the required material
• pay KSh5000 participation fee

The development of the story, its structure and the production of the film, will take place during the festival week, i.e. August 11-16, 2008.

All the films made will be screened during the closing ceremony of the 3rd Lola Kenya Screen on August 11, 2008 and will then be showcased around the world, alongside those made by the children and youth in their respective hands-on workshops.

The objective of the ‘Lola Kenya Screen Kids & Docs Workshop’ is to develop and build a network of professional filmmakers and trainers interested in the production, exhibition and promotion of high quality documentary films for children and youth.

Such professionals will also be expected to pass on their knowledge and skills to others in the broader Kenyan and eastern African region.

Interested filmmakers are advised to apply to the undersigned not later than July 4, 2008

The ever popular Kibera Hip Hop Film festival was held between April 26th and May 2nd.

This year’s event was sponsored by Hot Sun Foundation with support from the Cultural Affairs section of the US Embassy in Nairobi.

Kibera, the largest slum in Kenya, is becoming a venue for international films! Thanks to volunteers and film kiosk owners, over 4500 people saw dozens of great films with fourteen volunteer facilitators from Kibera leading discussions about the films.

The favourites at the festival were “KIBERA KID”, starring Kibera’s very own Ignatius Juma, and “SUBIRA”, a story of a young girl in Lamu, an island off the coast of Kenya.

The festival gave Kibera residents a chance to see and discuss quality films about the lives of people around the world.

Still from Hotsun….

1. “CHARCOAL TRAFFIC” (Official selection in international film festivals)
   Hot Sun Films
   Director Nathan Collett, assisted by Godfrey Ojiambo
   Producer Fatima Jibrell
   
   
   
   “CHARCOAL TRAFFIC” (charcoaltraffic.com) is a short film that tells the dramatic story of two brothers caught in a murderous cycle of environmental and cultural devastation in Somalia. It was shot in northern Somalia with an all local cast with no previous acting experience. Dialogue in Somali with English subtitles.
   “CHARCOAL TRAFFIC” is an official selection at the Beijing (China), Shoot Me (The Hague, Netherlands), Leith (Edinburgh, Scotland), Lenola (Italy) and Durban (South Africa) International Film Festivals. Visit hotsunfilms.blogspot.com for more information.
   
   
   
   
2. “SUBIRA”
   After the success of the short film “SUBIRA” which was screened at the prestigious Short Film Corner at Cannes this year, Hot Sun Films are now embarking on developing it into a feature length film to be shot mid next year.
   The film has been screened at the following film festivals:
   1. Kenya International Film Festival
   2. Amakula International Film Festival
   3. Brooklyn Arts Film Festival
   4. Cannes Short Film Corner
   5. Zanzibar International Film Festival
   6. Palm Springs International Film Festival
   7. Lola Kenya Screens
   8. Flying Broom International Womenʼs Film Festival
   9. Notorious Film, Africa In The Picture
   10. Cypress Film Festival
       
   It has recently won the GOLDEN IMPALA AWARD for the BEST SHORT EAST AFRICAN FILM.
   Subira will be screened at the Zanzibar International Film Festival on July 13th

Kenyan film wins TWO film awardS at Ziff- 2008

Subira, the short Kenyan film written and directed by Ravneet Chadha, won its third and fourth awards; SIGNIS AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM and THE BEST EAST AFRICAN TALENT AWARDS in the region in the just concluded Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) on sat 19 th July. The international jury mentioned that the film told the story using images and with minimal dialogue to depict an authentic culture.

Earlier, Subira screened at the launch of the festival at the m ovenpick Royal Palm Hotel, then screened at the festival, with a large audience in attendance.

It has also won, the Best short film in Kenya International Festivals and the Golden Impala award for the Best East African Short film and screened at the prestigious Cannes film festival.

EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH THE WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF THE FILM

Q1. What inspired you to shoot in Lamu?

Ans. To me Lamu with its narrow and untouched streets represented the human mind in fear that keeps us small and narrow and fears expansion and growth. The town sits at the edge of the ever-expansive Indian Ocean , that to me was symbolic of the freedom and expansion that we are born to.

Q2. What made you write the story? Where you raised Muslim?

The story is a personal one that I experienced myself. No I was not raised Muslim. To me the Bui Bui is again symbolic of the cage of conformity that we find ourselves in. I grew up in a British boarding school and was sent there at the age of 5 yrs, in India . After I used to come home in the holidays, I could see things from an outsider's perspective and noticed how important the role of society was in keeping people to conform one narrow way of life, if anyone wanted to be different eyebrows were raised. So most chose to live in the safe space of that “tight box” allotted to them.

Yet I feel we are born with different abilities and potentials, those should be encouraged to nurture and hence celebrate our uniqueness. Therefore the theme of the film is conformity versus freedom.

Q3. What is the next project?

After the success of the short film, we at Kaaya films are working on developing it into a feature film, to be shoot mid next year,