By Ogova Ondego
Published June 12, 2018
In what appears to be the final phase in the push for legal structures, players in Kenya’s movie sector have converged in the capital, Nairobi, to explore ways and means of turning the movie sector of East Africa’s leading economy into an industry.
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Speaking during The Film Industry We Want consultative meeting that brought film associations, guilds, lawyers, media representatives, independent moviemakers, trainers, businesses and regulatory agencies together for deliberation, Josephta Mukobe, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Heritage, said the Government of Kenya recognises film as being critical in the realisation of the Government’s BIG Four–Food Security, Affordable Housing, Manufacturing, Affordable Healthcare for All–Agenda.
Consequently, Mukobe said a Culture Fund had been established in her ministry to support the country’s creative sector.
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Committing herself to fast-tracking the delivery of the draft film policy, she challenged players in the movie sector to critically examine the mandate of Government agencies such as Kenya Film Commission, Kenya Film Classification Board, Department of Film Services to ensure they are living up to expectation.
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The PS cautioned players in the movie sector against taking sides in any inter-agency squabbles as they are the ones who are bound to suffer when service isn’t delivered.
Mukobe announced that the Government is working with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in finding ways to support creators of local movie content to meet the 40% quota set for local content for broadcasters. She also promised to take up the contentious issue of drone technology that has caused anger between moviemakers on one hand and Government on the other on stringent and costly licensing measures with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
Jane Murago-Munene, Executive Director of the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) whose secretariat has been in Nairobi since 2013, announced the Africa Audiovisual and Cinema Commission (AACC), an arm of the African Union Commission, and Film Fund, had been established.
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Guided by a baseline survey it conducted, Murago-Munene said FEPACI had since 2014 conducted capacity-building training, created centres of excellence and explored ways of creating formal movie distribution networks to make it possible for African moviemakers to compete with their counterparts around the world.
“FEPACI is working with African Development Bank on how to develop African movie industry,” Murago-Munene said, calling upon African filmmakers to ‘put our houses in order first instead of pointing fingers at others in a sector that operates on the divide-and-rule principle’.
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Martin Munyua, Chairman of Kenya Film and Television Professional Association, called upon players in the movie sector to help turn the movie sector into a business as art as an end in itself ‘doesn’t feed, doesn’t educate and doesn’t medicate unless it is looked at as a business’.
Munyua called on moviemakers to harness their talent through education as talent alone isn’t enough. Speaking on behalf of associations and guilds, Munyua asked the Government to come up with policies and regulations that empowers instead of curtailing creativity and innovation.
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It was at this juncture that Mukobe came in to announce that the Government has not only hosted FEPACI Secretariat in Kenya since 2014, it has created a film school but that it also supports inter-school music and drama festival to illustrate its commitment to the creative sector.
Representatives of KFC, KFCB and DFS spoke about their work and the challenges they face in service delivery as per the various mandates given to them.
The gathering also tackled issues such as policy and legislation, markets and distribution, opportunities available to moviemakers through Kenya’s devolved government structure, and training for practitioners in the movie sector.
The Film Industry We Want summit was held June 6 -7, 2018. It was organised by FEPACI) with the support of the Government of Kenya.
