BY OGOVA ONDEGO. NAIROBI, KENYA (CINEMA MINIMA) — The Lola Kenya Screen film festival for children and youth calls upon children, youth, amateurs, students, and professionals to submit quality films that focus on children, ages 13 and under; youth, ages 14 to 25; or families, including adults ages 25 and over. The fifth edition of the annual event will take place in August 2010. The deadline for film submissions is 2010 April 15. There is no entry fee.
Experimental films, television series, and video games will be accepted. Even creatively packaged music videos, tackling issues related to children, youth, and family — and which provide strong role models to children and youth while speaking positively to children of diverse backgrounds — are welcome.
Showcases and Awards
Selected films will be showcased under various categories, with those starring children between ages of 6-13 competing for the prestigious Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni award for the best children’s film; those featuring children above 14 years competing for the Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Prize for the best youth film.
Workshops
The festival not only showcases films; it also places audiovisual media production tools into the hands of children and youth. It has equipped 92 children with basic skills — 47 in filmmaking, 19 in creative journalism, nine in events organization and presentation, and 17 in the critical appreciation of films. Its annual film production workshops have realised 20 short animations and eight documentaries.
Lola Kenya Screen Film Festival entry rules and submission form are online in PDF format. Details about the festival, and other Lola Kenya Screen activities are available at the Lola Kenya Screen Web site.
Films must be received between 2009 December 1, and 2010 April 15. Entries must reach the Lola Kenya Screen no later than 2010 April 15.
The festival — which recognizes that adults must be sensitised into creating for and with children and youth — has been held annually since 2006. By its fourth edition in August 2009, Lola Kenya Screen had showcased 1,450 films from six continents. The 2009 edition had attracted 315 films in 33 languages, out of which more than 250 were shown to over three thousand people.
The 2009 Golden Mboni prize went to IO PARLO by Marco Gianfreda of Italy, the Silver Mboni to THE HAPPY DUCKLING by Gili Dolev of Scotland/Israel, and the Bronze Mboni to PAMELA by James Kanja of Kenya. The Golden Mboni has been awarded since 2006.
The 14-Plus award was inaugurated in 2009, and was won by South Africa’s UGUGU NO ANDILE, a timeless love story set against the backdrop of a political war, directed by Minky Schlessinger. The 14-Plus award for the second and third best youth films went to Norway’s A BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY by David Kinsella, and to Kenya’s FROM A WHISPER by Wanuri Kahiu, respectively.
nairobi-based full time worshipper at the shrine of arts and culture; writer specialising in issues related to children, youth, media, culture and development with a bias to african and children's cinema