By Ogova Ondego
Published August 15, 2010

The fifth edition of the annual Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, production workshop and market for children and youth in Eastern Africa ended in Nairobi, Kenya on August 14, 2010 with top prizes going to Nigeria and Malawi. This was a departure from the norm that has seen most top prizes go to the North since the inception of Lola Kenya Screen in 2005.

Beating a field of 22 to the prestigious Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film was CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME by Nigerian Mak’ Kusare. The three-member jury comprising Vanessa Alice Wanjiku, Alexander Thungu Kinyanjui and Simon Odhiambo Onyango described the 2010 production as being based on a universal theme. “This film is based on a universal theme that is experienced all over the world. The cast is well chosen and we find the film educative, informative and captivating,” the jury said of the 120-minute film.

CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME starres two whiz kids trying to enter an international quiz competition. While one one is denied registration on the account of her being physically challenged, the other is accepted with open arms as she is from a well-to-do family and would  therefore be a good representative of the country abroad.

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SEASONS OF A LIFE, a 2009 production by Charles Shem Joyah of Malawi won the 14-Plus Award for the best youth film on the account of its “creative beginning, good casting, good technical quality” and its proclamation of the divinity of the motherhood in word and deed.

While the Christian Ditter-directed VORSTAADTKROKODILE of Germany and LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the UK were declared second and third best children’s films, WE WERE YOUNG of Namibia-based Philippe Talavera and Vincent Chabrillant’s EN MODE AILLEURS of France emerged send and third best youth films n the awards ceremony held at the Kenya National Theatre in the heart of Nairobi on Saturday night.

The full list of Lola Kenya Screen 2010 award winners is as follows
Golden Mboni for the best children’s film: CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME by Mak Kusare of Nigeria.
Silver Mboni for the second best children’s film: VORSTAADTKROKODILE by Christian Ditter of Germany.
Bronze Mboni for the third best children’s film: LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the UK.
14-Plus Award for the best youth film: SEASONS OF A LIFE by Charles Shemu Joyah of Malawi.
14-Plus Award for the second best youth film: WE WERE YOUNG by Philippe Talavera of Namibia.
14-Plus Award for the third best youth film: EN MODE AILLEURS by Vincent Chabrillant of France.
Best Documentary: BIG SISTER PUNAM by Lucian and Natasa Muntean of Serbia.
Best Animation:  LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the United Kingdom.
Best TV series:  KOZUCHA KLAMZUCHA by Andrezj Kukula of Poland.
Best Student film: GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Alexei Gubenco of Romania.
Best Children’s right film: JANAKI by M.G. Sasi of India.
Audience’s Choice Award: LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the UK.
Special Talent Prize: Talent Empire by Simon Peter Otieno of Kenya.
Special Youth Prize: Communicating for Change, Nigeria.

For its 5th edition that August 9-14,2010 in Nairobi, Lola Kenya Screen received 302 films from 38 countries: Serbia, Nepal, USA, Spain, Namibia, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Italy, India, Iran, Uganda, UK, France, Finland, Romania, Moldova, Singapore, Kenya, The Netherlands, Croatia, Tunisia, Japan, Malawi, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Slovenia, Kosovo, Ethiopia, Norway, Brazil, Tanzania, Uganda, Turkey, Ukraine, Latvia, Argentina(in 33 laguages–Nepali, Tamang, Spanish, English, German, Polish, Danish, Italian, Tamil, Farsi, Karamojong, French, Hokkein, Dutch, Arabic, Kannada, Chichewa, Setswana, Slovene, Kiswahili, Albanian, Amharic, Sheng, Somali, Norwegian, Singala, Kinyarwanda, Portuguese, Malayalam, Gambay, Finnish, Luganda, Turkish, No dialogue–from five continents–Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America.

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The festival screened one third of the films submitted for consideration in 10 sections: The Golden Mboni Award Competition for the best children’s film, The 14-Plus Award Competition for the best youth film, Films by Students, Films by Children, Films for Youth, Eastern Africa Prism, Television Series, World Panorama, Special Focus, and 4th Kids for Kids Africa.

The highest number of entries came from Spain followed by Kenya and Nigeria. First time participants in the five-year festival were Kosovo, Tunisia, Malawi, Moldova and Singapore.

Animation carried the most entries from almost every country and continent and a good number of experimental films were also registered.

Lola Kenya Screen 2010 witnessed an upsurge in the number of films made by children and youth, i.e. those under the age of 18 years.

The 5th Lola Kenya Screen was supported by ComMattersKenya, Cinetoile, Africalia, Belgian Development Cooperation, European Union, ArtMatters.Info, DISCOP Africa, Africa Movie Academy Awards, UNESCO, and Mwelu Foundation.