ArtMatters Critics Guild

The absence of critics and sloppy journalism undermine the quality of creativity. This, for instance, could partly explain why filmmaking is taking long to get rooted in Kenya and Eastern Africa.

ArtMatters.Info, Eastern Africa’s premier critical arts and lifestyle publication, has brought together writers, journalists and arts lovers to form Kenya’s first ever national critics’ guild with a view to helping point society in the right direction and keep on course.

An initiative of ArtMatters.Info, the body is called ArtMatters Critics' Guild although its activities are national and membership is inclusive, being drawn from across mass media organisations operating in Kenya.

The organisation is called ArtMatters Critics' Guild of Kenya.

Among other things, ACG aspires to entrench arts criticism in eastern Africa and help uplift the coverage of the arts and culture in the region through training and capacity-building programmes for its members.

To achieve her objectives and in developing guidelines on arts criticism, ACG liaises with local and international organizations.

Although covering the arts in their entirety, ACG has several sections handling the various aspects of the arts—film, music, literature, art, theatre—and its various sections are to be affiliated to professional organisations in the respective areas of specialization.

Consequently, the film section of ACG is affiliated to the International Federation of Film Critics that is better known by its French name—Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique—acronyms, FIPRESCI.

The Film section is considered the Kenya national section of FIPRESCI and is governed by the statutes, articles and regulations of FIPRESCI approved by the General Assembly in 2004.

Selected activities of ACG:

Zanzibar, Tanzania, training of arts and culture journalists
Kampala, Uganda, training of arts journalists
Harare, Zimbabwe, arts journalists mentoring programme
Nairobi, Kenya, training of journalists
Further information is available from:
ComMattersKenya Ltd/ArtMatters.Info
Email critics@artmatters.info
Tel 254 20 315258, 254 20 213318, 254 733 703374
P O Box 842-00208
Philadelphia (Old East) House, 4th Fl, Tom Mboya St/ Hakati Rd
Nairobi CBD, Kenya, EA.

Amakula trains scribes

Friday, 7th October, 2005

By Gilbert Mwijuke

FILM critics from different media houses from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda were some of the biggest beneficiaries of the second Amakula 2005 Kampala international film festival.

Over 15 scribes attended a film critics workshop recently at the Plaza Theatre in Kampala. Kenyan film critic Ogova Ondego handled the seven-day workshop.

Journalists debated the state of the film industry and film journalism in their respective countries and possible measures of developing film culture and film journalism in Africa. They trained on how to improve their skills as film critics and other related arts like theatre, music, fine art and book reviews.

This year’s film extravaganza, Story Lines, showcased fiction and feature films made in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and several other African countries with a focus on the practice of specific African cinema.

The festival has been extended to Bat Valley theatre and 20 video halls spread over five divisions in Kampala. There have also been Luganda translations of a selection of films.

Artists receive criticism certificates

Friday, 30th September, 2005

By Emmanuel Ssejjengo

After a week of hectic training, more than 10 critics have been passed out with certificates in arts criticism.

The training that was facilitated by the much-respected Ogova Ondego from Artmatters Critics guild, based in Nairobi, had sessions on the understanding of literary, fine art, musical and film critics.

The participants also learnt about arts appreciation and the status of film criticism around the world.

Ugandan participants were joined by others from Kenya and Rwanda.

The workshop was carried out at the National theatre and was part of the programme of the recently concluded second Amakula Kampala International film festival.

“As guides to a growing section, arts criticism should guide artistes in their trade,” Ogova Ondego, the tutor told the critics during the training session.
Ends

Workshops | Friday September 23

3-5pm | Green Room, National Theater
Presentation East African Film Critics Workshop

A seven day workshop designed for journalists and writers in East-Africa with an interest in writing on film will be given during the festival. Believing that film criticism is an important aspect of a vibrant film industry as a locus for reflection, the construction of taste, judgment and the mobilization of an audience we decided to initiate this year a workshop specifically devoted to critical writing on film. The articles produced will be printed in a festival paper that will be presented with a discussion in which significant points that developed out of the previous week will be brought before the public. Nairobi-based arts critic, Ogova Ondego from ArtMatters.Info and ArtMatters Critics Guild, will conduct the workshop, bringing a widespread knowledge of international film culture as well as a keen insight into the regional situation.

Wahakiki wa filamu walia na televisheni

2005-07-12 08:03:13
By Beda Msimbe, Zanzibar

Wahakiki wa filamu wanafunzi waliokuwa wakichukua masomo kutoka kwa walimu kutoka taasisi ya maendeleo ya mawasiliano ya Kusini mwa Afrika- SACOD-wamepongeza juhudi za taasisi hiyo ya kukusanya pamoja wahakiki wa filamu na masuala ya sanaa kwa ajili ya msasa.

Pongezi hizo ziliwasilishwa katika ufungaji wa warsha ya siku 5 ya wahakiki wa filamu kutoka nchi za Afrika Mashariki, iliyokuwa ikifanyika katika ukumbi wa Baraza la Habari mjini hapa.

Wahakiki hao kutoka Zanzibar, Tanzania Bara na Kenya ambao mwishoni wa mafunzo walianzisha jukwaa la wahakiki, wamesema kwamba Afrika mashariki ina kazi kubwa ya kukuza sekta ya filamu na hilo litawezekana kwa kuwa na wahakiki walioiva katika mustakabali huo.

SACOD ikishirikiana na taasisi ya maonyesho ya kimataifa ya filamu ya Zanzibar, ZIFF, ilitoa nafasi kwa waandishi wapatao 14 kujifunza mbinu mbalimbali za uhakiki kwa kuangalia zaidi uandishi wenye mlengo wa kukosoa na kujenga jamii huku ikiheshimu haki za binadamu.

Wakati wa mafunzo hayo, wahakiki hao wameangalia filamu kadhaa ambazo zinaingia sokoni na zile zinazoandaliwa, kuzitoa kasoro kwa lengo la kuziboresha au kuzipa hadhi yake inayostahili kwa manufaa ya watazamaji na ujenzi wa nyuzi zinazostahili katika ufumaji wa hadithi ya kwenye filamu.

Pamoja na kuwepo kwa Tamasha ambalo limekuwa likionyesha vitu mbalimbali kuanzia masuala ya sinema, maigizo, utambaji, muziki na dansi makongamano ya utengenezaji wa sinema na muziki pamoja na uhakiki yalifanyika.

Wahakiki hao walipewa misingi ya uhakiki kutoka kwa walimu Profesa Martin Mhando wa Chuo Kikuu cha Murdoch , Australia Magharibi na Ogova Ondego kutoka Kenya.

Pamoja na kanuni za msingi za uhakiki, wanafunzi pia walipatiwa nafasi ya kujifunza matumizi ya mtandao wa kompyuta kama kisima cha habari.

Mratibu wa mafunzo hayo Farida Nyamachumbe ambaye pia yupo katika mradi wa SACOD amesema kwamba lengo kubwa la kufunza wahakiki wa filamu ni kutengeneza chachu ya kujikosoa, chachu ambayo ndiyo hasa inayonyanyua filamu.

Picha aliyotengeneza Farida Nyamachumbe ya Baraza la Mji Mkongwe pia iliangaliwa na kufanyiwa uhakiki.

Wahakiki hao waliisifu filamu hiyo kwa kuangalia kwa makini tatizo linaloingia Mji Mkongwe la usafi, kero ambayo ilisanifiwa vyema na mtoto Maida.

Aidha filamu nyingine ambayo ilitazamwa ni ya Mtanzania Beatrix ya Tumaini,ambayo ilionekana kuwa na shauri kubwa miongoni mwa watanzania.

Aidha ilishauriwa katika darasa hilo la wahakiki, watengeneza filamu hasa za mafunzo kuzipa televisheni filamu zao ili ziweze kurushwa na kufikia watu wengi.

Hata hivyo watengenezaji hao walisema kwamba kwa Zanzibar ni vigumu kwa kuwa televisheni ya Zanzibar inataka kulipwa kwanza kufanikisha mambo.

Wahakiki walishauri kwamba katika masuala ambayo yanazingatia maslahi ya nchi ni vyema wenye televisheni wakasaidia mathalani filamu ya baraza la Mji Mkongwe kwani si hadithi bali mafunzo kwa wakazi wa maeneo husika. ·

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