THE BIG FILM REVIEW

It's regrettably been quite a while since my last post here. In my absence Simiyu Barasa contributed one of the most popular articles on this blog yet (I should get him to write here more often) and the Kalasha awards rolled up once again. While I was 'away' I still did manage to make some progress with my goal to watch as many local films as possible and share my thoughts on them with you all. This then is penance for my long absence; a 6-film review compilation of local films both recent and slightly older that I have seen and the first of them is of particular significance:

DANGEROUS AFFAIR: 

Judy Kibinge

Those who have followed Kenya's film history will concur with me when I refer to Judy Kibinge's 'Dangerous Affair' as probably one of the most important films in Kenya's film history. Films have been created and consumed in this country since colonial times but 'Dangerous Affair' is widely believed to have broken the mold in more ways than one. Local productions had previously consisted mainly of documentary films utilizing foreign and NGO funding. 'Dangerous Affair' offered a breath of fresh air for many who had been waiting for a fictional feature film with a local cast, story, theme and setting. And that is not all, it also discussed subjects that were considered to a certain level 'taboo' in television and film at the time and featured in leading(and seminal) roles, two female characters who did not conform to what were then societal expectations of women.

THE DEAD BANKABILITY OF THE KENYAN ACTOR

GUEST POST BY FILMMAKER SIMIYU BARASA

A spoiler cum disclaimer; This article will contain scenes and faces that you already have seen on Kenyan TV. However, any relation, real or imagined, does and does not bear resemblance to them. More importantly, they haven’t paid for name placement. I have desisted from names of people I have directly worked with to avoid accusations of kuwatetea. And oh, its going to be quite a long read.

Nollywood stars in Kenya for 2011 AMAA nominations gala night.

  This has been a year that has made me think deeper about our industry, especially on the commercial viability of it. Several things have converged to make me ruminate on actors. Yes, we love them, but because we so love our Kenyan actors, lets spank them a bit. Do we have bankable actors in Kenya? You say yes? Ok, I mean do we have star Kenyan actors, whom Kenyans would block Mama Ngina street as they rush to 20th Century Fox to watch them? Who’s faces if they appear on DVD covers would create a human traffic jam in Nakumatt, as Kenyans seek to buy these optical discs and watch them? Kenyan actors whose names in the trailers can ring a bell in Dar-es-Salaam to Kinshasa and Lagos? You sure? A Kenyan actor who can make an independent producer take a loan knowing he’ll make his money back, due to the starpower of the actor?

A couple of things have led me to the following conclusions. Early this year, during the AMAA nominations night in Nairobi, dubbed Nairobi Rocks with Stars, I sat on a table watching the forlorn faces of our acting stars  being totally rocked as the whole ballroom turned to bow down to the Nigerian actors entourage. Some Kenyan actors fell over themselves to take mobile phone photos of these stars, and in the newspapers lets just politely say, the stories were full of foo foo served with a sprinkling of nyama choma. 

THE 46TH LOLA KENYA SCREEN FILM FORUM

"ORGANS" BY ASHA MWILU

Asha Mwilu, Director 'Organs'

Zainab Wandati, Writer/Producer 'Organs'

The 46th edition of what is quickly becoming my favorite monthly event went down at the Goethe Institut this Monday the 30th of May and as I expected, it didn't disappoint; Except perhaps in its attendance(Why don't more people know about this forum?). On exhibition was Asha Mwilu's directorial debut film 'Organs' shot as a student project in USIU in partnership with Zainab Wandati who also wrote and produced the film. Being a forum where the work of young upcoming directors is highlighted, it was Asha who was on the hot seat and the lights dimmed for 30 minutes of this story:

LEARN THE ABC's OF ACTING AND SAVE SOME MONEY!!

What would happen if every actor knew the ABC’S of acting? The Kenyan Acting scene would evolve to higher levels. All actors would be equipped for both local and international screen castings. You may be asking yourself how this could happen. Come and find out at The Casting Workshop on June 18th 2011.
Acting for Cinema Training School-ACTS- is hosting a second workshop. The Casting workshop will have key facilitator Virginia Clay, who has been acting for 17years in the media of TV, Film and Theatre in the UK and the USA.  Her passion has transformed from a niche to a need in the Kenyan Industry as she sees raw untapped talent daily. She is well versed in the ABC of Acting and will take you through the Casting Workshop, highlighting your strengths and weaknesses. She will be assisted by local stars.
The Workshop: The workshop will be divided into two sections over two days.
Day one: An intense all-day learning session on how to give powerful and effective screen auditions for a fee of KShs 1000 This will include a detailed booklet of invaluable notes sent to you via email.
Day Two: A one-to-one session with our Facilitator.  This is a unique opportunity for you to put your learning into practice. Structured like a professional screen casting, there will be an interview and the chance to read for an actual screen role.  However, the added benefit of this session is that you will receive feedback and coaching on the day.  This personal casting and coaching session is available for a fee of KShs1000. The audition will be filmed and a DVD of your work will also be available for KShs 500
Fees:  The fee structure is flexible to ensure it suits your pocket. You can come to Day One only should you choose, but it is essential that you attend the main workshop if the one-to-one casting session is to be of benefit. Pay KShs 1000 for workshop and KShs 1000 for the casting and top it up with your own DVD at KShs 2,500… or just attend the workshop.  Pick and choose!

And now FilmKenya has a deal for 10 of it's lucky fans. The first 5 actors to comment on this Facebook note and the first 5 to comment on this blogpost expressing a desire to attend will get a waiver of an entire 1500 shillings!! FilmKenya will cover your costs for the essential DAY 1 of the workshop and the very kind and understanding people at ACTS have agreed to waive the DVD fees for the ten actors from FilmKenya. So you'll only pay 1000/= for day two in order to get the DVD, which as you've just been told, will be free for you!! There's a catch by the way, FilmKenya will be shooting a short film soon after and the ten actors/actresses will get a chance(if they're willing) to show what they learned. So how about it?? GET COMMENTING!!

Date: 18th June 2011                    
Time: 8.30a.m-4.30p.m                 
Place: French Cultural Centre
E-mail: **available on request**

SHUGA: FOR YOUR PLEASURE

When I started this blog last year in December, SHUGA had just been released and exhibited on local television and to be honest, it was awesome! It was the first production that truly proved a point I had been trying to convince a few obstinate friends about for a while; that internationally competitive quality can be achieved with an all-Kenyan cast. I mentioned it HERE.

Well, the kind folks who produced the film posted it up in its entirety(all 3 parts) on VIMEO and even though I had stumbled upon the links a while earlier, it took a post by a recent friend of mine on her blog (delusionofgrandeur254.wordpress.com) to finally remind me to link you guys up with it!!

ME, MY WIFE, AND THE FILM INDUSTRY

Premiere of 'Me, My Wife, and Her Guru at Capri 7

A couple of weeks ago, 27th March to be exact, I attended the premiere of JITU Films new comedy, 'Me, My Wife, and Her Guru' at the Capri 7 Garden Bar. It would seem a little belated for me to be writing about an event that occurred that long ago but I have a compelling reason. Had I written about this event back then, I would have merely done a review of the film and that was done by two of the local dailies quite promptly the very next morning. Instead, I was interested in the making of the film and in particular, how fast the project moved from between when word about the project first got out to the time it was ready for exhibition.