Weapons of mass film production get rolling

By JOSEPH BONYO jbonyo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Monday, February 21 2011 at 16:45

Kenyans films have taken too many baby steps to grow into a full commercial industry.

With history tracing it’s beginning to early 1960’s, the industry has faced numerous challenges from within and without.

While several big budget and internationally acclaimed films have been shot in Kenya, local players have barely scratched the surface.

“We have barely utilised the talent and content that we have locally to grow this industry. There needs to be a change in focus for us to grow to international standards,” says Information and communication PS Dr Bitange Ndemo.

However, the past five years have seen a number of players in the sector come out bare-knuckle looking for nothing short of beating their peers in Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria.

This has seen a number of productions rolled out to first endear homegrown viewers before cutting across the borders.

“The local film industry has been on a downward trend for a long time,” notes a recent survey commissioned by the Kenya Film Commission. “However, recently locally produced programmes have begun to enjoy a strong following both locally and internationally.”

According to the survey, Economic contribution of Film and TV in Kenya, there is a shift in status evident in television programmes aired by the local media stations and pay TV channels like DStv. This has exposed local content to the international market and spurred production locally.

Some of the local hits done in the recent past include; ‘Lost’ by Bobby Bresson, ‘The race’ by Mburu Kimani, ‘The stigma’ by Sheila Mulinya, ‘Malooned’ by Bob Nyanja, ‘Ras Star’ by Wanuri Kahiu and Anna Marano.

Other productions that got good ratings from local audience include ‘Dangerous Affair’ and ‘Project Daddy’ among others.

“There is a lot more that can be done in this industry if right measures are put in places. Currently some of the regulations around filming and production are a deterrence to the industry’s growth,” says Mr Peter Mutie, the chief executive officer of the Kenya Film Commission.

Mr Mutie notes that in some local government jurisdictions, filmmakers pay hefty amounts per day to shoot at a site.

An example is in Malindi where Sh100,000 is charged per day per site of a film location. In Nairobi, the City Council is said to have recently increased the charge to Sh50,000 per street per day to shoot a film.

Economically the industry brings in about Sh3 billion annually, which is three categories as either direct and indirect contribution or through ripple effects from the industry.

Some of the areas that the industry contributes to indirectly include tourism, skills and labour supply, culture and merchandising.

“What the survey revealed is that the industry has a number of sectors that it contributes to indirectly such as the hotel and food industry, transport, financial services, legal among others,” says Mr Mutie.

But then the total value of the industry is difficult to ascertain since it’s not mandatory to register a film or television production. As a result there might be a large part which is not captured in the official records.

Compared to the Nigerian movie industry, Kenya performs poorly both in terms of economic contribution and levels of production. Annually it contributes about Sh22.8 billion to the Nigerian economy.

Nollywood, as the business is known, churns out about 50 full-length features a week, making it the world’s second most prolific film industry after India’s Bollywood, according to an article in The Economist.

With its origins traced to 1992, Nollywood has cut itself a niche of producing movies for home consumption rather than for cinema halls. This might perhaps explain why the movies from the west continue to flood the Kenyan market as opposed to local productions.

“Films produced locally also suffer from a perception that they are inferior in quality compared to productions from foreign countries,” says Mr Mutie.

Although a number of locally produced films have won accolades globally, the government is yet to fully understand and support the industry.

In the 2009/2010 financial year budget, the government announced certain tax incentives to spur growth in the industry.

The full benefits of these incentives are yet to get to the industry as immigration and customs officials still harass producers out to utilise the benefits.

“These statistics will now help the government to look at how best it can partner with industry and may be even set up a film fund to promote the industry,” notes Dr Ndemo.

African filmmakers meet in Nairobi

African filmmakers meet in Nairobi to count blessings and plot

Africa prepares to unveil list of finalist filmmakers and films selected for the seventh edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Photo | AMAA | AFRICA REVIEW |

By MWENDA wa MICHENI in Nairobi  (email the author)

Posted Monday, February 14 2011 at 16:27

In less than two weeks, African filmmakers; actors and critics congregate in Nairobi, not just to witness the unveiling of finalists picked for the continental 7th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), but also to take stock of the industry.

Ahead of the event, Tony Anih, the Executive Secretary of AMAA, spoke on the event and state of African Cinema. Excerpts:

What does AMAA promise this year, and how is it going to deliver results?
AMAA has the highest number of films submitted for consideration this year. Filmmakers have come to understand the fact that they have to up the ante in order to play this game. Africans and the world shall see very good films during the nominations and the actual awards ceremony. We are working round the clock to ensure a very successful event.

What, exactly, is happening in Nairobi and why this location?
Nairobi will be hosting the Nomination Night on February 25, 2011. The venue is the Ole-Sereni Hotel on Mombasa Road. There will also be a music concert dubbed Nairobi Rocks with Stars on February 26, 2011 at the Carnivore grounds in Lang’ata. P-Square, J Martins, Edge, Kwela Tebza and a couple of other local artists from Kenya shall perform. African movie stars like Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Rita Dominic, Genevieve Nnaji, Aki & Paw Paw, Desmond Elliot, Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel, Bond Emeruwa, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Ramsey Nouah, Segun Arinze, and Mercy Johnson will also be in attendance. Nairobi is the entry point into Eastern Africa. It is because of her strategic position that we are coming here.

Apart from Nigeria, how has the rest of Africa been involved in this awards project and what, so far, what are the results for African cinema?
The popularity of AMAA is growing every day. African filmmakers have come to embrace AMAA as their own equivalent of the US Oscars and that is why the number of film entries keeps growing every year. For example, AMAA received the highest number of entries this year from Kenya. One production house alone entered 10 films and, in all we have about 27 entered from Kenya. In Francophone countries of Africa, we have more entries this year than ever before. AMAA received more films from South Africa this year than we had in the previous years. More films came from the Diaspora, especially the US, Europe, Australia and Asia. This goes to show that more Africans are getting very involved.

Africa prepares to unveil list of finalist filmmakers and films selected for the seventh edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Photo | AMAA | AFRICA REVIEW

Every year, the AMAA Nomination Night moves from one African country to the other. This has created huge interest from not only filmmakers, but movie fans who want their country to host the event. There is also big pressure from other countries, for instance, South Africa, for AMAA to be based in their country.
Over the last six years, AMAA has managed to raise the profile of African cinema. Films that are nominated or win at AMAA are now getting accepted in the world film festival circuits: Cannes, Berlinale, Toronto International Film Festival, Dubai International Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles (USA), and London African Film Festival. Most AMAA-winning films have so far travelled and been screened in more than 26 international festivals. Furthermore, AMAA winners have also been celebrated in major festivals. Nigerian Kate Henshaw-Nuttal has walked on the red carpet in Berlinale, Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu got grants from foreign donors to make a short film after winning at AMAA.

Where will African cinema be in about 10 years from now?
We are still growing. There is a new phase of African cinema, especially with the coming of the digital age, this is what we are trying to tap into so as not to be left behind. We are strongly promoting the idea that Africans must begin to tell their own stories using the cinema medium. This is beginning to yield fruits. More young Africans are now making films that are travelling places. We are beginning to have cinema culture all over again. Film institutions are being built across Africa. A good example is the brand Nollywood that is influencing many African countries. Nollywood was named by Unicef as the world’s second largest producer of movie content in the world after India’s Bollywood. This is a milestone for Africa. In the next 10 years or thereabout, Africa will be a force to reckon with in world cinema. Besides creating huge employment opportunities, lost African values and traditions will be restored through this medium.

Its every filmmaker's dream to get a mention at festivals like Cannes, Fespaco and Berlin. When will AMAA get to the league of these festivals?
I must say that not every filmmaker would want to be mentioned on festival circuits. This is because we have different categories of filmmakers. There are those who make festival films, and those that make commercial ones. It is important that this is clarified.
However, like I said earlier, AMAA-winning films are travelling all over the place. For example, after winning five AMA Awards, From A Whisper by Kenyan Wanuri Kahiu got enormous visibility. Kahiu was invited and is still being invited to film events, markets and festivals around world. From A Whisper was screened in Pan African Film festival in Los Angeles where it won an award. It was also screened at Cannes International Film Festival (no connection with the Festival de Cannes), London African Film Festival, was screened in the pan-African Cinetoile African mobile cinema network that was conducted in eight sub-Sahara African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South African, DRC, Mali, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. By winning AMAA as the best director and best film, Kahiu’ s short film, Pumzi, was funded by an American funding agency that support African films. Ugandan Matt Bish, another AMAA winner, got the funding for his short film the following year from the same organisation.

Where do you see Nollywood in 10 years and what is going to take it there?
I would want to see Nollywood drastically improve in quality so as to match the volume of content coming out of that industry. Most importantly, I’d like to see it influencing other African countries in making quality films. This will raise employment and inflow in revenue from other parts of the world. And by implication, position Africa as a powerhouse in the world cinema.

Kenyan-born film director says sector is competitive, expensive

A poster advertising the movie ‘Bend It Like Beckham’. Some young British Asians have never experienced racism in any form. Photo/FILE
By GLOBAL BRIEFING (email the author)


Posted Thursday, February 3 2011 at 00:00

Kenyan-born film director Gurinda Chada is most famous for the hit films “Bhaji On the Beach” and “Bend It Like Beckham,” which explore the lives of British Asians.

She started her career as a radio journalist and directed a number of award winning documentaries for UK television, before moving into features. In this interview by Global-Briefing she expounds on her career:

How, when and why did you decide that you wanted to become a filmmaker?

I decided during the riots of the 1980s when second generation British Asians, African and Caribbean people stood up and started to claim their Britishness.

It was a turbulent time and I became very aware of the acute importance of the media in constructing negative, or positive images of us.

I wanted to do something about it so I became a news journalist. In the event, I found news too constricting, so I moved into films. With films, you can create new worlds, new characters, new realities. , and I hope I played a part in that.

In 1989 you made I’m British But…, which was an examination of the complex issue of identity for young British Asians. What, if anything, has changed for young people of Asian descent over the intervening 21 years?

There has been a massive change. Some young British Asians now have never experienced racism in any form. Some are extremely successful and that is across the political and professional spectrum.

One thing I didn’t anticipate was that we would see such a rise in the more traditional or fundamentalist views among young Muslims, but again this is a way of asserting an identity and feeling that they belong to a community.

Would you encourage young people today to take up filmmaking as a career?

Absolutely. I cannot believe I get paid to make films. It is just fantastic. Making films is a way of communicating with the rest of the world – your innermost thoughts, politics, cultural views. You can do so much and you can make it entertaining at the same time. Filmmaking is a higher form of politics.

In an incredibly competitive field, what would be your advice to someone seeking to make an impact?

It is incredibly competitive and expensive. If anyone is seriously considering going into filmmaking, they have to be really clear who they are making the film for and why they are doing it. Filmmaking is all about vision, focus, having an opinion and being passionate abut communicating it to others.

You were born in Kenya to Indian parents and raised in Britain. What does the Commonwealth mean to you?

Well, in some ways it still has pejorative connotations for me. It is a reminder of the Empire. But I believe that is all the more reason to reclaim it. It’s like my OBE. I could have said no to it, but again, I thought it was important to reclaim it. My grandparents lived under Empire, so I know it would be hard for them to understand.

But the Commonwealth is a different thing now.


What I like about it is that it is a collection of very different countries with their own cultures and identities, but which also share a common language and culture.

How would you describe your home?

My home is my sanctuary. It is a wonderful, beautiful, modern mews house. It was built about 20 years ago by a Japanese lady, who used feng shui proportions, so it feels very good. I love it.

What do you do to relax?

My favourite form of relaxation is massage. It used to be crap TV. In fact, now I sometimes combine the two – that’s the ideal.

Who would you most like to meet?

My PC answer is Barack Obama. My non- PC answer is Bruce Springsteen.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

The best piece of advice was given to me by my A-level sociology teacher, Barry Sedgewick. He told me to always be aware that there are different perspectives on the same issue — the traditional conservative or fundamentalist perspective, the liberal or phenomenologist view, and the Marxist view.

If you always bear these three angles in mind, then you’ll get the full picture.

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