By Peter Gikonyo, 15, St James Primary School, Mathare
Published August 13, 2010
On Monday, August 9, 2010 was the beginning of the 5th edition of showcasing films at the Lola Kenya Screen film festival, an annual international film festival, production workshop and market for children and youth in Eastern Africa that takes place every second week of August annually. The festival was to showcase more than 100 films in six days. Coming from 38 nations, the films are in33 different languages and include documentaries, animated, fictionalised and experimental films.
The screening began in the morning and ran throughout the day. The audience were thrilled by the films showcased.
Lost and Found was one of the best films I had the privilege of watching on this cold day at the Kenya National Theatre where the event was taking place. An animated film, the 24-minute film is about a young boy who finds a penguin at his door step. Thinking it must be lost the boy decides to take it back home even if it means rowing all the way to the South Pole.
The film left many astonished and many worried about the next scene. The film demanded a lot of thinking from the audience. Its suspense left the audience wondering what would happen in the next scene.
It attracted an audience of about 200 including parents, teenagers and children. It was obvious that stomach sectors were to be dealt with accordingly. At about fifteen minutes to one o’clock the audience was dismissed for lunch.
Fifty minutes later the audience were back to for the afternoon session. But before that the events presenter introduced children from Talent Empire in Kayole One to sing and dance for the audience. Loud screams filled the air when the entertainment reached the climax. Without dilly-dallying all were seated and what next?
Dr Simon Peter Otieno was called upon to inform the audience about the Talent Empires. He said that the Talent Empire is a group based at Kayole one Primary school in the Eastlands area of Nairobi, Kenya.
He also told the audience that on August 12, 2010 the group would travel to the coastal region of the Country to shoot their film and thereafter travel to Kakamega in the western region of Kenya.
Oh we shall miss the entertainment by the Talent Empire that comprises young school going boys and girls who compose, sing, act and dance.
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Within a fraction of a second the audience were glad to hear from the Lola Kenya Screen Festival director Ogova Ondego. He informed the audience about Lola Kenya Screen, when it was founded and its achievement. At about six o’clock in the evening the audience were out for refreshment. What delicious refreshments they were. The day then ended with no natural calamities or disasters and the audience were dismissed to their various homes ready for the next day.
Third Day at Lola Kenya Screen Film Festival
By Peter Gikonyo, 15, St James primary School, Mathare
Published August 13, 2010
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The day has come. The Fourth day of the week. This being the third day of the Lola Kenya Screen film festival most have gained experience over the three days. At half past eight in the morning, the first film, TALENT EMPIRE, is screened and it sets the pace for the day. The film runs forty nine minutes. The audience decides to work on the stomach sector in order to see whether vision 2030 will reach them.
It is not even one hour when the last film starts but before that I had experienced a lot in the previous film, CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME from Nigeria.
This film is about two beautiful girls, Sophia and Sharon. They are two whiz kids trying to enter the Morgan Kids concept for secondary school girls aged 12 to 16. Sophia is denied registration on account of her being physically challenged but the intervention of St Flairs Foundation enables her to enter the quiz competition. However to a small cabal of the organisers the trophy and prize money must go to the right person.
Therefore a devious plot is hatched which denies Sophia the trophy and the prize money. Curving my neck backwards I see tears dropping into the faces of few audience. But it’s late when I interview one of the judges about the film.
How was Champions of our Time? I ask
It made me shed tears because it had a strong message that was being sent out, it had a strong originality and it deserves an award.
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After Togetherness Supreme everyone went their way. I see the festival director reprimanding the masters of ceremony on why the audience were released before the film could be discussed as expected at the end of every film.
