USIU-Africa students recently won 3 out of its 8 nominations at the 11th edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards. The awards saw House of Secrets, one of USIU-Africa’s student produced movies walk away with wins in the categories of Best Sound Designer for Kelvin Osoo, Best Director for Michelle Donde and Steph Sevani, and Best Feature by a Student.
The University submitted 4 out of the 5 films that were produced in August in the final year project course, PRD4010, producing from greenlight to completion. Out of the four film submissions, two films, Knock, directed by Kelvin Osoo and House of Secrets, directed by Michelle Donde and Steph Sevani made it to the top five in six categories.
Speaking during the presentation of the trophies, the Vice Chancellor Prof Freida Brown expressed her pride and lauded the achievements of each student and the hard work that they put in.
“This win would not have been possible without your time, effort and talent and on behalf of the entire university community, we are proud of this accolade. You are a resource to the university by showcasing some of the talents present at the University,” she said.
Michelle Donde, the director of the award winning film, House of Secrets, noted that while she produced the film as a school project, she had never expected that it would go on to win a Kalasha Award.
“It has been an extraordinary experience to win these awards, and it is an encouraging sign that the tides are turning in terms of representation in films. I am excited to be an award-winning female director, and I look forward to a time when more and more female directors will share with us their stories through film,” she added.