The Kenya Film Commission who are the custodians of The Oscars in Kenya, have submitted the film “Kati Kati” for the Best Foreign Language category for the upcoming 90th Academy Awards. This entry of Kati Kati is only the first step in a series of stages that the movie has to undergo before being nominated. The nominees for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced by the Academy on 23rd January 2018.
This comes after a call for entries was announced through Kenya Film Commission and two entries that were received namely; Kidnapped a film about a jilted lover’s revenge and Kati Kati a film on a mythical place in between life and the afterlife. Both films met most of the required specifications and were recorded as duly received and on 14th September 2017 at the Kenya Film Commission where they convened to view the entries as required by the regulations of the Academy.
KFC together with the Oscars Selection Committee is keen to see more entries in the running to represent the country at the Academy Awards. Further, filmmakers are encouraged to script non-English dialogue for main characters. This shall give the films a competitive edge in the Oscar Foreign Language Film race. For future reference, the current acceptable ratio of non-English dialogue to English is above 50%.
In addition, film makers have been urged to market their productions, theatrical releases and even invite the Selection Committee to the premiers through the Kenya Film Commission. The minimum requirement for foreign language must not be underestimated. The more productions that meet the requirements set by the Academy the better for the local industry as it competes at a global level.
All aspiring entrants are encouraged to submit their films, Documentaries and Animations to local Film Festivals such as Kalasha and RiverWood and also to international film festivals such as Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), Berlinale, Cannes, Toronto Film Festival, and Sundance. This will expose Kenyan productions to the world and hopefully catch the eye of Academy members who will make the selection of nominees for the various categories in the Academy Awards.