The Kenya Film Commission recently unveiled the beneficiaries of the second round of the Film Empowerment Program. 14 Producers from Nairobi, Kajiado, Siaya, Nakuru and Kisumu Counties were awarded a total of Ksh. 29,343,000 for development and production of local content. The Commission had received 172 submissions between 5th October and 18th December, 2020.
The Commission also partnered with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to jointly execute the program in line with mutual interest of promoting the development of local content. The promotion focused mainly on children’s content.
According to the Commission, the submissions received showcased diverse ideas with the potential to culminate into award winning films and television shows. Feature films was the most common genre in the submissions for production funding, addressing themes such as corruption, early marriage, witchcraft, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Gender Based Violence (GBV).
There was, however, a considerable number of entries for Animation Productions featuring children content. This second cycle also received entries in the Documentary genre and unexplored genres of historical dramas and mockumentaries.
One of the beneficiaries of the first cycle of this Empowerment Program is Bangarang feature film. The film was set to premiere in April, 2021. The much awaited premiere has since been postponed following the health protocols barring mass gatherings.
Now that the restriction measures have been eased, Kenyans have been urged to look out for new premiere dates for Bangarang as well as the other productions from the first cycle.
The Kenya Film Commission’s mandate is to make Kenya a center of excellence in film production. This includes helping to create an enabling environment for the development of a vibrant local industry as well as marketing Kenya as a leading destination for foreign filmmakers.