Director Jakub Barua with Taking Action crew. Their film won the Best Documentary Award at the 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi

The 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi (September 29-October 4, 2003) wound up with a colourful Awards Night and a pan African co-production deal. When implemented, the co-production arrangement could see filmmakers in Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal collaborating on film projects.

This will not only give exposure and jobs to pan African crew and cast, but is also likely to create a bigger film market. The end of the 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi also saw the introduction of six film competition categories besides the current five. They include: Best First Film by a first time director, Best Cinematography, Best Soundtrack, Best Editing, Best Actor, and Best Actress. Previously, awards were provided to Best Fiction, Best Documentary, Best Student Film, and Best Technical Quality films. However, the 6th African Cine Week introduced the People's Choice Award.

The Price of a Daughter, a new feature film by Jane Murago-Munene tackling female genital mutilation, early and forced marriages, denial of education and other issues faced by girls in the Maasai community, won the Best Fiction Film award: a certificate and a trophy worth Sh10000 (about US$129) sponsored by Nation Television. "This film, about a girl who defies early marriage, is interesting, thought-provoking and well made. However, the Jury of the 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi note that some characters in the film are not comfortable using English that tends to vitiate the quality of the film, especially rhythmically. The director would have done better if she made the characters to use the local language with English subtitles," the jury noted in their citation.

The price of a Daughter revolves around Naisenya who is pulled out of school at 14 to be forcefully circumcised before being given away to an older man as a wife. However, she defies the traditions of her people in an attempt to bring change in her community. Taking Action, a documentary made to encourage marginalised communities to take action against poverty and injustice as well as inspire development organisations to steer the course for justice, won the Best Documentary Award. This entailed a certificate and a trophy worth Sh10000 (US$129) sponsored by Nation Television. Taking Action is directed by Jakub Barua.

The Jury observed: "This documentary is about empowering people not to wait for others to do things for them but rather, to take action and control of their own lives. It is brilliantly directed with great photography accentuating the quality and packaging of the message. A world class film, it deserves the Best Documentary Award. " Spurts of Blood, a film by Willie Owusu, scooped the Best Student Award. For this, Owusu will undergo a week's training on AVID Non-Linear Editing Systems courtesy of Visual Engineering Limited worth Sh75000 (about US$962).

Director Jane Murago-Munene with The price of a daughter star, Sereya Leseni

The jury was impressed by the quality of a first time film by a student that deals with the fear attached to going for an HIV/Aids test. "This film is well directed and shows a lot of promise for a first time director. Consequently, the Jury of the 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi awards it the Best Student Film prize," was the unanimous verdict. The Best Technical award went to The day I will never forget, a film on initiation, love, marriage, family, rebellion, and change among select Kenyan communities.

This is the only category of competition open to foreign films dealing with issues on Kenya and East Africa. The documentary director, Kim Longinotto, is a British national. "The most exciting thing about this film," the jury said, "is the technique used by the director. Viewers get to know the characters so well that they have a feeling the director has given her characters the directorship. It treats a difficult theme with ease. It is the point of view of characters rather than that of the director that carries the day. The film deserves the Best Technical Quality award," the Jury ruled.

TV_Slum, an innovative film about a 20-year-old man who sleeps in a garbage dump in the sprawling Kawangware slums, received People's Choice. This award was introduced this year to give viewers a sense of ownership of the festival. The eight former street children who shot the film received a certificate and a trophy worth Sh15000 from a donor who does not wish to be named. The Jury commended Dangerous Affair (a straight-to-video feature film by Judy Kibinge) and The Life Gamble by the Mathare Youth Sports Association Shootback team as examples of innovation. Dangerous Affair, the Jury noted, "is innovatively produced without any foreign or NGO funding. This is a good example of the way forward in African filmmaking. It is also in line with the Nigerian home video formula, the focus of the 6th African Cine Week. Dangerous Affair entertains as it teaches."

The Life Gamble was singled out for "its witty treatment of a serious theme with the aim of creating awareness among the youth ." The Life Gamble cautions the youth against irresponsible sexual behaviour. The jury--consisting of professionals drawn from the academic, arts and lifestyle, broadcasting, and production fields, was composed of film director Wanjiru Kinyanjui, television producer Mburugu Gikunda, Communications lecturer Evans Mutua, French Embassy Audiovisual Attache Olivier Lechien, and film critic Ogova Ondego

Below is the Jury of the 6th African Cine Week report:

Ogova Ondego

We, the Jury of the 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi, were pleasantly surprised but also overwhelmed by the number of film entries this year. The African Cine Week of Nairobi, whose goal is to help develop audiovisual production in Kenya and East Africa, invited directors and producers from East Africa to enter their most recent-2002 and 2003--works into the PANORAMA competition. Compared to last year when 25 films were received for the East African Panorama Competition, this year had 46! We did not judge 11 films because some directors had entered more than one film in the same category. A director may enter only one film in any one category. Other films were disqualified for not adhering to entry rules that required all entries to be accompanied with a synopsis, technical chart, and a photograph of either the director or the producer. The purple shall govern, a film from the United Kingdom, could not be judged as it does not tackle Kenyan or East African regional issues. We also noted with pleasure the increase in student entries. Compared to last year when only The Mohamed Amin Foundation Television School was the only entrant, this year saw the entry in the fray of Andrew Crawford Media Training School, Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, Ambatana Educational Trust, Mathare Youth Sports Association, AMREF, and MeDeVa TV (Tazama!). With 22 hours of film and only eight hours available to us for screening, only 19 films could be selected from the 31 films we judged. Most of the films were good, interesting, and worth showing but could not be screened due to time constraints. Though most films were of broadcast quality, the Jury noted with concern that a lot has to be done in the areas of photography, sound, lighting, and scripting. All the same, the number of entries to the 6th African Cine Week Panorama competition is an indication that Kenyan filmmakers can meet the 20 per cent local content quota on television proposed by the government. The African Premiere Film Screens section had five films, one each from Kenya (Behind closed doors by Jane Murago-Munene), Ivory Coast (Betting on love by Didier Aufort), Mali (Genesis by Cheikh Oumar Sissoko), Nigeria (Late Marriage by Adim Williams) and Senegal (Madam Brouette by Moussa Sene Absa). The Coordination Committee of the African Cine Week decides which major African feature films make it to this category. Eligibility is based on a film's quality and performance internationally.

The Coordination Committee of the 6th African Cine Week of Nairobi acknowledges the support given to the event by many of its supporters and collaborators: 1. The French Embassy in Kenya, for sponsoring the event over the past six years. 2. Visual Engineering Limited, for sponsoring the Best Student Award. 3. Nation Television, for sponsoring Best Fiction and Best Documentary awards. 4. Kenya Film and Television Professional Association, Kenya National Film Association, and French Cultural and Cooperation Centre for logistical support. 5. FCCC cultural attaché and director Jean-Pierre Volia, programmes coordinator Harsita Waters, programmes assistant Ange Lenaola, Virginie Sumian. 6. Independent filmmakers 7. Kiss 100: Carol Radul, Charles Kerich, Henry, Salma Ahmed, and Tichi Nyasani 8. ArtMatters.Info: Chelangat Kirui, Judy Wanderi 9. East African Standard: Evans Ombiro 10. Daily Nation: Dan Teng'o 11. Taifa Leo: Francis Wang'endo, Godfrey Olali 12. Kenya Times: Francis Ilahaka, Wanjiku Kariuki 13. Capital FM: Kimberley Leonard, Laura Walubengo 14. Africa Film & TV: Russell Honeyman, Paul Chitau, Newton Musara 15. BBC World Service: Catherine Fellows, Jenny Horrocks, Joseph Warungu 16. ComMatters staffers and volunteers: Judy Wanderi, Bobastles Owino Nondi, Mwenda wa Micheni, Linda Sogoh, Sheila Mulinya. 17. French Embassy Audiovisual Attaches Didier Martin in Kampala and Pierre Barrot in Lagos. 18. Monica Rorvik at Durban International Film Festival 19. Jane Mbiti, Albert Wandago, Naomi Samita 20. Amit Tyagi and Sonal Radia-Tyagi 21. Jury members Mburugu Gikunda, Evans Mutua, Wanjiru Kinyanjui, Olivier Lechien, and Ogova Ondego. 22. Discussion facilitators Matu Nguri, Njeri Karago, Olivier Lechien, and Ogova Ondego. 23. Panelists John Karanja, Mary Simgwe, Polly Renton, Jane Murago-Munene, Kibaara Kaugi, Ingolo wa Keya, Martin Munyua 24. Daystar University: Mary Kizito, Sylvester Evans Mutua 25. Senegalese film director Moussa Sene Absa, Nigerian producer Emmanuel Isikaku and Ugandan screenwriter Kaya Kagimu-Mukasa. 26. Designer Vikki Keingati 27. Kenya Film Censorship Board 28. Film Production Department 29. Andrew Crawford Media Training School, Kenya Institute of Mass Communication . 30 AMREF: Rosemary Kamanu, Zawadi Mawanda 31. Institute of Performing Artists Limited 32. Film producers and directors whose films were entered in the Panorama competition 33. Kenya National Theatre: Emily Njeru 34. Nairobi Cinema 35. Kenyatta International Conference Centre 36. Union of National Radio and Television Organisations of Africa 37. Olivier Lechien, Njeri Karago, Jane Murago-Munene, Albert Wandago, Ali Mwangola, Lenny Juma, Appie Materi. 40. Mathare Youth Sports Association 41. Ambatana Educational Trust 42. Mary Simgwe, chief guest and panelist.

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