The Naweza Film Organization has commenced an outreach program to sensitize residents of Kisumu County on basics of Film production, starting with the grassroots and informal settlements.
The Kisumu based organization (Naweza) has so far rolled out the project set to run for six months working with the targeted special groups.
Naweza founder and leader, Boniface Oduor, stated that the program has been funded by the United in Film, a Canadian based charity organization, which supports local organizations by providing them with opportunities and resources to meet the set goals.
Oduor who is commonly known to local residents as Ramsey Bon, said Naweza film aims at training the selected groups on the basics of film production, while capacity building the young people especially on how to stick together.
He said they also intend to strengthen partnership with the special groups to enable them continue getting the much needed support from Naweza who have pledged to provide the resources required for film production.
“So far we have met two groups in Nyalenda and Ojolla to educate them on creation of clean and quality content,” he explained.
Oduor further reiterated that the organization’s target is to have a more vibrant film industry in the Lakeside region. He added that the budding producers will be guided on what safe sites they should visit on the internet because therein are a lot of cyber-crimes.
The program is expected to create a favourable environment for every aspiring filmmaker by pooling resources, considering that film production requires huge amounts of money to facilitate the young film makers tell their own stories.
“Everyone deserves to tell their stories irrespective of where they are and their economic status,” noted Oduor paraphrasing Kenya’s Oscar Award Winner Lupita Nyong’o who once said that all dreams are valid.
The program will also ensure that aspiring filmmakers get trained on camera work, script writing and cinematography, so as to acquire the requisite skills and knowledge as the basis to pursue further career development to the global scale.
Oduor observed that there are so many stories still waiting to be told and listened to by a specific audience who will appreciate the unique initiative.
Speaking during an exclusive interview with KNA, the Acting Director of Film Services (DFS) –Kenya, Vincent Onyango, revealed that the department has come up with packages to help sell the filmmakers contents and ideas.
Onyango pointed out that his department also advertises opportunities for upcoming film makers groups to pitch in their short films for support and rewards on the DFS website.
The Director advised upcoming film makers and other special groups to visit relevant organizations such as the Kenya Film Classification Board and Kenya Film Services to get more information on licensing and production.
He stated that the department has provided the necessary manpower, equipment and skills to individuals, as well as groups that have been formerly trained through search reach-outs like Naweza.
However, the Director expressed concern over the reluctance of youth who failed to turn up whenever such workshops by Naweza were being held, describing the initiative as being the magic that could stir the film sector into a more robust outreach.
Onyango said this will go a long way in positively engaging the youth whom he challenged to turn out in large numbers for the rare opportunities and later join Kenya Film School to gain more professional skills that could enable them compete favourably on the global scale.
James Oketch who is a member of the lakeside thespians film production, lamented over what he termed as high cost of film production, especially for a crew that has just been instituted and sent a passionate appeal to the government to waive some of the charges.
By Evangeline Mola and Lorine Awino
