By Lola Kenya Screen Press
Published December 5, 2012

The 18-week film and participant application period to the 8th Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill development programme and market fir children and youth in eastern Africa opened on December 1, 2012 and closes on April 15, 2013.

The 8th annual Lola Kenya screen is scheduled for August 12-17, 2013.

Lola Kenya Screen also calls upon children and youth interested in developing their creative and cultural entrepreneurship skills and showcasing their films to apply by April 2013. Such applicants shall be considered for participation in either filmmaking, creative writing, cultural journalism, critical appreciation, or organisation & presentation of events.

“The centrepiece of Lola Kenya Screen is the practical, hands-on, “learn-as-you-do” mentorship programmes through which we explore, identify, nurture and flaunt creative talent among children and youth in filmmaking, creative writing, cultural journalism, critical appreciation, organisation and presentation of events, and media literacy,” says Lola Kenya Screen Director Ogova Ondego. “The objective of these mentorship programmes is to equip participants with the skills to understand, appreciate, conceive and create high quality audiovisual media productions in particular and creative and cultural products in general. This work can bear dividends only if it is done throughout the year and not just seasonally.”

The deadline for applications is April 15, 2013.

Lola Kenya Screen invites all kinds of moving images – animation, fiction, documentary and experimental films, television series, video games and even creatively packaged music videos tackling issues related to children, youth and family and that provide strong role models to children and youth while speaking positively to children of diverse backgrounds are accepted -from all over the world.

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Selected films are showcased under various categories with those starring children aged 6-13 years competing for the prestigious Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni award for the best children’s film and those featuring children above 14 years competing for the Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Prize for the best youth film.

All entries submitted to Lola Kenya Screen must be suitable for children ages 13 and under, youth aged 14-25 years, or family (25+).

The deadline for applications is April 15, 2013.

Lola Kenya Screen also invites films from children and youth in Africa for the 7th annual Kids for Kids Africa Festival (KFKF-A) Competition that has since 2008 been organised and presented in the framework of Africa’s premier audiovisual media initiative specifically and exclusively designed for children and youth.

“The films we are looking for must be made by children and youth in 2012 and 2013 only; any film made by adults masquerading as children or youth are unacceptable,” Ondego says. “We define a child as any one aged 18 years and under. And such people need not be citizens of Africa but can be resident in the mother continent at the time the film was made.”

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Ondego clarifies that films made by children under the guidance of adults are eligible for the 7th Kids For Kids Festival Africa but that the contribution of adults should be confined to training or facilitating the process but should not be extended to areas such as scripting, shooting, story-boarding or animating that disqualify the production.

“Eligible films are those made by children resident in any part of Africa. All kinds of moving images–animation, experimental, documentary, fiction–will be considered,” Ondego says.

Like all entries to Lola Kenya Screen, any film in a language other than English must be sub-titled in English.

“All entries will be received, processed, assessed and awarded by a film selection committee and jury comprising children. Winning entries will represent Africa at the international Kids for Kids Festival,” Ondego adds.

The deadline for receiving entries at the Lola Kenya Screen directorate is April 15, 2013.

Films for the 7th Kids For Kids Festival Africa are to be submitted to:

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Lola Kenya Screen, Ngong Road, Ngong Hills, P O Box 20775-00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya (EA).