Kenyan film industry facts

Both the shield and spears crossed behind it are representative of unity and defense of freedom, while the rooster at the center of the shield symbolizes the dawn of a new day. Kenya is a founding member of the eac east african community which aims to boost regional trade and commerce. In fact, during the 90th academy awards ceremony in 2018, a film made in kenya, watu wote or all of us in kiswahili, was nominated for the. A cameraman films as actors perform a scene during the making of the film. All film buffs will undoubtedly agree with our list of 7 fascinating facts one needs to know about cannes. But how much do you really know about the film industry s new it girl. Filmmakers in the country have taken major risks and they have paid off with rest of the world starting to take notice. The government provides free primary and secondary education. Kenyas adoption of western values has led to diminishing of most traditional culture. Mr john karanja, who has been producing films in kenya for more than two decades, blamed both the government and the industry.

Bollywood is well known, because it is said to be the largest film industry in the world, in terms of number of films released. While the moviemaking business was once largely a boys club, times have certainly changed. We can never run out of this cute babies in the country. Sep 24, 2019 the fastestgrowing industries in the state are healthcare, construction, technology, hospitality, and agriculture.

We collected up to 25 ads from hundreds of job boards for you. Kenyas capital city, nairobi, is located in the southcentral part of the country. How nairobi half life producer builds kenyan film talent. Her 20 film, something necessary, about the violent political and humanitarian crisis in kenya that occurred after the 2007 general elections, was screened at the toronto international film festival and earned her a best director gong at kenya s kalasha awards. It towers at a height of five thousand one hundred and ninetynine meters above sea level. This publication provides an overview of the entertainment and media industry in kenya as well as deepdive discussions on subsectors like internet, television, radio, music, publishing, outofhome advertising, video games and sports. The period also saw director, storm saulters feature film sprinter winning the best narrative feature, audience and best director awards at the american black film festival in june 2018. Nguma a project report submitted to the chandaria school of business in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of masters in business administration mba united states international universityafrica summer, 2015. This paper is going to look at the factors limiting the growth of film industry in kenya a brief history of film in kenya film in kenya, until recently, has been marked by external film industries using kenya as a location to tell their own stories. Lupita nyongos oscar win also served to earn attention to the kenyan film industry from the global film making community. Lets take a look at some of the less known facts about lupita nyongo. While a new generation of african talent claims its space on the global stage, the infrastructure to support the industry is also growing. Academics in kenya film industry, riverwood, kenyan film.

Despite agoa, kenyas apparel industry is struggling to hold its ground against asian competition and runs a trade deficit with the united states. We have the cast and crew required but unfortunately people are not always ready to. In fact, local audiences are often accused of preferring hollywood films to kenyan ones. International filmmakers looking to film in kenya are offered detailed information on locations by the commission, as well as liaison services on behalf of the government, advice on reconnaissances, film licensing and immigration, and facilitation the filming process. Below weve gathered 12 needtoknow facts about the flawless lupita nyongo. Canon miraisha and kenyan film commission film clubs initially, an 8week film club program will be implemented at 4 institutions in nairobi. Quickly find the best offers for film production jobs in kenya on the star classifieds. I am pleased to share with you our publication, kenyan entertainment and media outlook the outlook. Kenya is a presidential representative democratic republic with its largest city nairobi as its capital. The following are some of the challenges that face the tourist industry in kenya. Two film makers make it into kenyas top 40 under 40 list. Its probably in remote areas where its so likely to come across traditional dancing. There are many famous actors and actresses born in kenya or who used to live in kenya but their tentacles are internationally spread out and are making waves outside the country.

Mumbi maina, grace mwelu, lizz nyagah, nice githinji, maryam ada, patricia kihoro, dj pierra makena, lupita nyongo, brenda wairimu, and sarah hassan. Kenyas film industry is pioneering social change the. The film industry in kenya has been struggling and really left behind. Some the major boosts is that the government is now involving itself in the film industry. Canon, kfc collaborate to develop film industry in kenya. But when you compare what this socalled revenue amounts to and what kenya would gain were the films to be shot here, you will notice the. Sep 10, 2014 how nairobi half life producer builds kenyan film talent. The film had been prohibited from screening by kenya s film classification board kfcb. Kenya lifts ban on lesbian film rafiki making it eligible. How producers who do not pay are ruining the kenyan film. Apr 19, 2018 kenya is a republic located in eastern africa and the 7th most populous country in africa.

The film s success has been celebrated by the kenyan film commission, who were quick to tweet the news. Jamhuri ya kenya, is a country in africa with 47 semiautonomous counties governed by elected governors. Sep 02, 2019 a short action film, made in narok with the aim of improving film industry in east africa. They accused the kenya film classification board kfcb of being an impediment to struggling. The country has registered impeccable growth over the years. The government together with kenya film classification board are working on a project known as sinema mashinani to boost film watching culture in rural areas. At 580,367 square kilometres 224,081 sq mi, kenya is the worlds 48th largest country by total area. Cnn screening room focusing on kenyan film makers like wanuri kahiu and others.

Subscribe to ntv kenya channel for latest kenyan news today and everyday. According to njeri kihangah 2008, an entertainment writer for the daily nation, a kenyan newspaper, kenya has played home to documentaries and short films rather than feature films. Nairobi is the capital as well as the largest city, followed by mombasa and nakuru. The selected films included the colonial epoch when film propaganda became a major weapon against the nationalist struggle for independence, the postcolonial epoch, in the mid1980s when the film industry was on the verge of takeoff, and for the contemporary epoch, 2012, when the kenyan local film industry made its impact on the global screen.

However, one of them is not popular amongst the kenyan people. This programs goal is to introduce young people to film and create awareness around the film industry as a viable career path in kenya, with the ultimate objective of offering an 8 weeks course within. Lack of film education currently in kenya there are two universities that offer. Positive change has however swept the landscape of late. Famous people of kenya facts about world countries. Kenya has a nascent but vibrant film industry and has for decades been an important location for filmmaking.

Mar 15, 2020 stakeholders say the film industry has a huge unexploited potential to create jobs and brand the country generating upto sh200 billion to the economy annually by commission sets aside sh25m to finance startups. Like swahiliwood and ugawood, ethiopias lowbudget film industry also thrives, entertaining majority of its population of over 100 million. From rafiki to something necessary, some of the greatest kenyan movies are being produced or directed by women. In the case of kenya, the film industry is still relatively modest, and rather than fictional movies, kenya mostly focuses on documentary films about the poor living conditions of the people in its cities. Why kenyas film business is still going south daily nation. Mpasho investigates the adult video industry in kenya and seeks to find out what makes it so lucrative. This is a look back into the history of kenyas filmmaking and. Oscar nomination for kenyan film on alshabab bus attack.

May 22, 2018 kenya has long been a popular destination for filmmakers, but several challenges are blocking the countrys film industry from growing. The global film industry shows healthy projections for the coming years, as the global box office revenue is forecast to increase from about 38 billion u. Eight interesting facts about mount kenya kenyan tribune. The kenya film commission was formed with the aim of promoting the kenyan film industry locally as well as internationally. Lupita is a product of the kenyan film industry, shuga put her on the world space, andrew explained. Despite the prior existence of such an industry under foreign rule, the african film industry did not reflect an accurate portrayal of the cultures it was intending to represent. Nollywood has grown to become the second largest industry in terms of volume of production after hollywood. The initiative was started with objectives of appreciating the kenyan culture and its diversity, promoting consumption of local film content, capacity building and reenergising the film industry in kenya. At the local cinemas, there are loads of kenyan actors gracing the big screens and it is only a matter of time before they become recognized in the international scene. The kfcb board primarily examines, classifies and rates films issuing a certificate of approval rated in the scale of 0 to 4. Factors limiting the growth of film industry in kenya. Sep 05, 2019 mount kenya holds many interesting facts about it. Subira was the first kenyan film to be screened at the cannes film festival. According to statistics from kenya revenue authority, the kenyan film industry is estimated to have injected kshs.

The qualitative phase involved indepth interviews with stakeholders in the industry including film producers, media managers as well as distributors who provided insights into film industry kenya. History of african film industry an introduction the rise of the african film industry can be traced back to the decolonization period of the continent. Although a very small industry by western comparison, kenya has produced or been a location for film since the early 1950s when men against the sun was filmed in 1952. Jeffrey cole in the television series house, as cheese in the 2007 film gone baby gone and as laurent in the films twilight, its sequel the twilight saga.

In the postindependent epoch, there are revelations of whimsical policy. In addition to the kenyan african ethnic groups, there is a sizeable population of asians people who trace their origins to india and pakistan, europeans, and somalis. The national educational system consists of three levels. Why is the black panther movie so important for the film. The ruling will allow kenyan adults to view the movie for the first time in the country for. Explore buzzkenya on answersafrica, read all about your favorite celebrities and indepth biographies of notable people including trending stories and updates.

Kenyas western provinces, marked by lakes and rivers, are forested, while a small portion of the north is desert and semidesert. Build on kenyas film industry potential in 2020 the star. Mount kenya is the second largest mountain in the african continent after mount kilimanjaro. The film industry has grown in leap and bounds in the last couple of years. May 17, 2016 this years mental health awareness week has placed a special focus on relationships. View academics in kenya film industry, riverwood, kenyan film on academia. Kenya has long been a popular destination for filmmakers, but several challenges are blocking the countrys film industry from growing. I once had a supporting role in a kenyan tv series. This is through the kenya film classification board.

Kenya s riverwood a rapid film production industry at river road, a bustling commercial avenue in the heart of nairobi has followed a similar route. Leading advertisers in kenya by ad spend 2017 l statistic. Jamaicas film industry scores big in 201819 jamaica. Even though she prefers a very quite life, the type of her career does not give her a lot of privacy space. The entry of netflix into the african market is a signal of greater things to come, but how ready is the kenyan film industry for the world stage. We had the pleasure to interact with a veteran of the kenyan pornography industry who shared a wealth of information into this lucrative ecosystem that often goes unnoticed to the ordinary mwanainchi. I say left behind because it was just the other day we were together with nigeria in the industry but now you can see where nigeria is. The film industry in kenya has been increasingly identified as a key growth industry with great potential to stimulate economic growth through infrastructural development, tourist attraction, investment and employment creation. Sep 21, 2018 a kenyan high court has temporarily lifted the ban on rafiki a movie about love between two women. Kenyas first ever educational factual tv magazine show rated second most.

Kenya has a nascent but vibrant film industry and has for decades. However, the biggest industries in california are agriculture, film industry, and services sector including tourism. The industry is regulated by the kenya film classification board kfcb, established under the films and stage plays act cap 222 of the laws of kenya to regulate the production, broadcasting, ownership, distribution and exhibition of film and broadcast content. Through the partnership with kfcb, we decided to tell the kenyan story the kenyan way through kenyans. The film also copped awards at the trinidad and tobago film festival and the nouveau regards in guadeloupe. Kenyas capital city, currency, ethnicity, gdp, largest cities, languages, origin of name, population, province date and religions by. It also is an avenue of transferring morals and values and contributes to the evolution of social and democratic processes. How to turn kenyas film sector into an industry lola kenya screen. The study outlines how the industry developed and how policies were made to suit regimes in power.

The condition and status of the female population in kenya has faced many changes over the past century. Kenyan filmmakers who are on the rise hope to break down the wall preventing kenyan films from being shown and celebrated beyond kenyan borders 1. Discover lesserknown facts about celebrities that matter to you and find out how you are connected. If there is an industry with a high potential to rise above the expectation of what we as kenyans perceive, that will be film industry.

Video productions have succeeded theatre productions by the alliance francaise and the phoenix theatres. Kenyas flower industry shows budding improvement the guardian. Kenya lies on the equator and was also known as mount kirinyaga, meaning mountain of whiteness owing to its snowy mountain peaks. Kenya facts relating to the countrys industry tell us that coffee is the main product of the country, but it is more often than not seen as something for export only as kenyans do not, as a rule, like to drink it. This is normally a big challenge because any individual or organization that wants to invest in this industry must have capital in terms of money as well as other resources such as land and labour. California is the leading state in the us in terms of income derived from agricultural activities. We got you extensive details about this most prestigious event in the filming industry. The kenya film commission kfc was established by the kenyan government in 2005. Entrance into secondary school is contingent upon obtaining the kenyan certificate of primary education by. Provision of monitoring and evaluation for kenya film commission.

Although, in the united states, jungle epics that were set in the country were shot in hollywood as early as the 1940s. History of african film industry experience africa. Kenyas main exports to the united states are garments traded under the terms of the african growth and opportunity act agoa. It is not easy to make the cut in the list, especially if you work in the arts industry, because the awards receive. A tough task, she says, but points out that when kenyans talk about the film industry, they. Kenya growing as a movie production destination kenya film. Economic contribution of film and television in kenya. Why is the black panther movie so important for the film industry. Edi mue gathegi is a kenyan american film, stage and television actor. Challenges facing film industry in kenya janeson films. The kikuyu make up around 20 percent of the kenyan population, and their home area borders nairobi. The kenyan cutflower industry in kenya has been accused by ngos and environmental agencies of having a negative impact on the countrys natural resources and the perpetuation of polluting practices. The slow growth of film industry in kenya can be greatly attributed to the. The history of the evolution of the traits of women in kenya can be divided into women within swahili culture, women in british kenya, and kenyan women postindependence.

Lupita nyongo is arguably the all time most successful kenyan actress in the film industry. Kenya film industry the film industry in kenya generates employment, fosters economic activity and preserves the nations culture. What are the challenges facing the tourist industry in kenya. Film makers raised concerns that challenges in the film industry remained huge due to lack of grants. Some of our local films are just as good as lion heart, in fact world tofauti a kenyan production has a better concept. On the other hand, nigerian films dominate the airtime in local channels, a fact that begs the question, why is the local film industry not fairing. Kenya facts on largest cities, populations, symbols. Apr 05, 2018 the overwhelming turnout for the festival was another indicator that the local film industry is taking off. The countrys diverse wildlife and panoramic geography draw large numbers of european and north american visitors, and tourism is an important contributor to kenyas economy. We have a lot of great content, veve is already on netflix and there are many more that should be considered, pitcha clear director andrew gakinya, said. The kenya film commission kfc is a state corporation under the ministry of ict, innovation and youth affairs mandated under legal notice no. Passport to america is the latest in a series of productions from riverwood, the nerve centre of kenya s film industry, which is now witnessing a renaissance that promises to improve the. Kenya s coat of arms contains two lions a symbol of protection supporting a traditional east african shield.

Kenyas film industry could go global, take on nigeria. The kenyan film industry exhibits some of the most beautiful actresses in africa. Kenyas amina abdi rabar closed out the eventful gala, to mark a truly remarkable night for kenyas film industry. It supports the kenyan film industry by providing facilities for screenings and filming and organising. The film industry is expected to grown tremendously over the coming years. Judy cofounded a production company called seven productions and set up docubox, a fund to support upandcoming documentary. The countrys film industry may not have been as wellknown as kenya s or even ugandas, but it is by no means silent. Get the kenya news updates, discussions and other exciting shows. The neocolonial tendency in these films draws attention to the fact that. Here fiona mcgugan, general manager of the music managers forum, reports on the increasingly vital role. Apr 01, 2011 kenyas flower industry shows budding improvement this article is more than 9 years old a 2003 guardian investigation revealed poor workers conditions and environmental degradation.

It got distribution on tv channels in france, spain, belgium, italy and pbs, usa, mnet africa and ktnkenya in 2009. However, the country lacks the financial means required to produce wider scale films and pay professional actors. Currently the film industry is generating approximately. Kenya industry incoming data for the final quarter of 2019 is mixed, after the economy expanded at the slowest pace in two years in the third quarter amid easing activity in the allimportant agricultural sector. We profile some of the phenomenal women in the kenyan film industry. How producers who do not pay are ruining the kenyan film industry. The cinema of kenya refers to the film industry of kenya. Two top kenyan film makers made business dailys top 40 men 2018 list. There are some amazingly interesting facts about kenya, here are they.