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Our festival, whose main objective is to help develop a cinema going culture in Kenya and make film business profitable for local filmmakers, will have screenings across the country in 12 venues simultaneously. We are very proud of this because we are the only film festival that does multiple screening in different geographical venues. This makes us a truly national film festivals as opposed to others that are, for lack of a better phrase, “city centric”.
It goes without saying that the basis of any festival is the quality and number of films it attracts. The festival is also the forum where filmmakers are feted and honoured for their creative works, because we know how daunting the decision to set out to make any film is.
We know that it takes passion, very rare passion might I add, and a special vision to move through the different phases from an idea or just a book to shooting, editing and release. It is a costly experience and it involves many people working together to bring out the final product.
And while film is called the seventh Art, it is also called film business because filmmaking is a business. This is where we at KIFF want the Kenya Film business to be at. We want to create opportunities for creative people meet with business people to create works of art either for entertainment or culture.
The challenge that we face is managing this very volatile mix of creative minds and business people because truth be told, in the end, there must be pay off for the business venture. I want to say this without any fear of contradiction that if filmmakers want to remain relevant and make more films, they have to be cognisant of this fact.
Our main objective is to make KIFF the place where art and commerce of the African Cinema meet. We want to encourage regional filmmakers to create works of art that can transverse the world. We believe that there is a huge market for African films, African stories and African art and culture out there in the world. This is why at this year’s festivals we are bringing works from over 50 countries to Africa so that our local Film makers can see what is available and learn from what other filmmakers are doing.
To celebrate the various countries where our films have come from, KIFF 2011 in conjunction with various High Commissions and Embassies based in Nairobi will host a number of “national film nights”. I can confirm to you that we shall host a Nigerian Film Night, a Colombian Film Night, A French Film Night, Iraninan Film Night, a Spanish Film Night and a Kenya Film Night. I want to this early opportunity to thank these foreign missions for their support.
The 2011 festival will also host a literature workshop in conjunction with Moi University in Eldoret. The workshop will discuss the relationship between literature and film. This workshop will be presided over by none other than Africa’s top literary icon Prof. Wole Soyinka of Nigeria.
The festival will also have open mic session where musicians will have an opportunity to perform in front of film makers so that the necessary partnerships and collaboration between picture and music can start to happen. As you know there is no film without sound/music.
We also intend to have a one hour session for our so called celebrities to come and hear about branding from one of our foremost PR guru. This session will help our film stars to start appreciating their “brand” status and how to harness it first for their own benefit, and for the greater good of the film industry and the society at large. We will open this session to our celebrities from the music, sports and film industry without discrimination because we know the importance of celebrity branding.
For the first time, KIFF will be introduction of a Film Mart this year. This forum will not only encourage filmmakers and distributors to forge new business partnerships but will expose international film distributors to the films made in this part of Africa. We also want filmmakers to meet the money side of their business.
We know that the festival itinerary if full of activities but most of all we want to celebrate achievements of film makers worldwide, we also want to recognize exemplary performance and successes of the film sector and particularly how the sector has embraced innovation, creativity and intellectual interaction among film makers.
I take this early opportunity to thank all our sponsors, and organisations that have contributed to the success of the festival. To all, HONGERA, NA ASANTENI SANA!
Charles Peter ASIBA
CEO/FESTIVAL DIRECTOR, KENYA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL |
