Crystal Ndungwa Ndolo, Elaine Nesbitt and Adede Hawi Nyodero were barely six, eight and nine years old, respectively, when they each made their first film during the annual Lola Kenya Children’s Screen film production workshop. Though this would have looked like child’s play, their work was taken seriously and is now contesting for top awards around the world.
Samora Michelle Oundo, Nyodero and Crystal Ndolo are among 7 children (out of 17) aged 7-14 years who are representing Kenya at the 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards in Nigeria (March 31-April 6, 2009) where their films are competing for top prizes alongside those of professional adult filmmakers.
The other children in the Kenyan delegation to Yenagoa, the capital of the oil-rich Bayelsa State, include Charmaine Nyambura Ndolo, Charlene Ndinda Ndolo, Norrick Joseph Kangethe, and Joseph Kang’ethe Mwangi.
LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS, a film on clever-by-half antics by Nyodero, Oundo and Karama Kilibwa Ogova (2007); MANANI OGRES on the importance of being vigilant by Joseph Hongo, Marcus Joseph, Norrick Joseph and Samuel Musembi(2007); and CHEPRONO on thinking before leaping by Joseph Miriri, Charlene Ndolo, Bree Tonga Manuel, Charmaine Ndolo, Mina Ogova, Triston Kayonga, Othman Bakar, Crystal Ndolo, Steven Miriri and Celestine Mwashagha (2008) are competing for the Best Animation Prize against films from Burkina Faso.
Although all the 17 Lola Kenya Children’s Screen filmmakers were invited to Nigeria, only seven can make it to the event as the majority are in school outside Nairobi or do not have national passports. The delegation, consisting of 20, leaves Nairobi for Lagos on March 31 for the AMAA ceremony that takes place on April 4, 2009. While in Nigeria, the delegation will participate in a weeklong cultural programme that will culminate in the awards ceremony.
Another Lola Kenya Screen production, SANTOS THE SURVIVOR, a documentary made by Rupinder Jagdev during the Lola Kenya Screen children and docs workshop in 2008, is competing for the Best Documentary (Short Subject) award.
Whereas LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS and MANANI OGRES were made under the guidance of Finnish tutor Maiki Kantola with the support of the Danish Film Institute of Copenhagen, CHEPRONO was made under the facilitation of Egyptian Dr Eid Abdel Latif with the support of Africalia of Brussels, Belgium.
SANTOS THE SURVIVOR, a film on how an orphaned child survives in Nairobi made under the guidance of Dutch documentary filmmaker Duco Tellegen with the support of the Jan Vrijman Fund/IDFA of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Lola Kenya Screen founder and director, Ogova Ondego, who—together with festival assistant Bethsheba Achitsa—accompanies the delegation to Nigeria, says he is elated.
''These nominations affirm that Lola Kenya Screen is on the right track. Though our films are made by children over a four-day period on an almost zero-budget, yet they are able to successfully stand alongside those made by adult professionals. These nominations have emboldened us and given us more confidence to trudge on deeper into the jungle that is African filmmaking,'' Ondego, who produces Lola Kenya Screen films, says.
''I thank our partners spread across the world for the support they accord us. We shall forever be grateful to ComMattersKenya of Kenya, Goethe-Institut in Kenya, The Danish Film Institute of Denmark, the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development and Jan Vrijman Fund of Holland and Africalia of Belgium.''
Meanwhile, the Centre of Films for Children and Youth (CIFEJ) and Kids for Kids Festival (KFKF) in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, have just communicated that LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS has just made it to the list of finalists in the international KIDS FOR KIDS FESTIVAL. It is competing in the Animation 13-16-year-old category against Poor Joshua Verde (Australia), Mancipia (Belgium), Carta Animada pela Paz: Os Dois Lados da Favela/The Animated Charter for Peace: The Two Sides of a Shanty Town (Brazil), Peace of Mind (Canada), Sul Filo dei Diritti/Let's Knit on Human rights (Italy), Corn in the USA (USA) and Perspective: The Chicago Trains (USA).
“This film,” Ondego says, “has done well, having won the Most Creative Production award at Lola Kenya Screen (August 2007), the Grand Prize at 2nd Kids For Kids Africa (August 2008), Special Jury Award at the Jugend Medien Festival Berlin, Germany (May 2008).”
LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS DANGEROUS, like all other Lola Kenya Screen productions, has been screened on virtually all continents where it has won accolades and collected awards along the way.
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