By Lola Kenya Screen Press
Published November 5, 2007

Kenya Screen, an audiovisual media festival, skills-development and and marketing platform exclusively designed for children and youth held every August, will now host Kids for Kids Africa, an initiative of the International Centre of Film for Children and Youth (CIFEJ), that identifies, awards and showcases films made by children for children across the world.

Among other things, Lola Kenya Screen will look for films made by children across Africa, have them judged by the Lola Kenya Screen children’s jury in August and then submit the award-winners to the Kids for Kids International festival competition. This will be done alongside the regular programme of the festival whose selection represents the best possible international audiovisual media production for children and youth.

Films by Children for Children, a compilation of nine short animation films made during the inaugural Lola Kenya Screen in 2006, won the first grand prize at the 5th World Summit on Media for Children/ Kids for Kids Africa festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, in March 2007.

Having been held for the first time in August 2006, Lola Kenya Screen is already growing into a much respected brand for children and youth, Ondego says.

The second Lola Kenya Screen festival, for instance, experienced a 7.5% (from 4000 in 2006 to 4300 in 2007) growth in attendance, 29.1% in film screening (from 216 in 2006 to 279), 24.3% in number of participating countries (from 37 to 46), 60% (from 25 to 40) expansion of participation in the four official programmes (children’s press, children’s jury, children’s programme presentation, children’s production workshop), and 100% (from one children’s production workshops in 2006 to two in 2007; one for children and another for youth) growth in production workshops.

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The Lola Kenya Screen children’s production workshop in 2007 made a three-film and three-song compilation titled AFRICAN FOLK TALES ANIMATED with the following films:

1. The Wise Bride
When two suitors compete for a beautiful girl, only the girl’s ingenuity carries the day.
Film by Alexandria Ngini, Aysha Satchu, Layla Satchu and Flora Wanjiru; 5 minutes

2. Little Knowledge is Dangerous
In an attempt to shock everyone with their clever-by-half antics, Mjinga, Juha, and Mwehu end up frying themselves in their own oil.
Film by Samora Michelle, Adede Hawi NyOdero and Karama K Ogova; 5 minutes.

3. Manani Ogres
Vigilance is important. But where it fails, drumming, music and dance have to be employed. The film demonstrates the power music has on every living thing, including man-eating ogres.
Film by Joseph Hongo, Marcus Joseph, Norick Joseph and Samuel Musembi; 5 minutes.

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Held August 6-11, 2007, Lola Kenya Screen 2007 was presented by ComMattersKenya in conjunction with Goethe-Institut in Kenya with additional support from Danish Film Institute, Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, and ArtMatters.Info, The CRADLE Children’s Foundation and Kenya Film Commission.