Golden Mboni Award

Beating a field of 22 to the prestigious Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film was CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME by Nigerian Mak’ Kusare. The three-member jury — Vanessa Alice Wanjiku, Alexander Thungu Kinyanjui, and Simon Odhiambo Onyango — was enthusiastic: “This film is based on a universal theme. The cast is well-chosen. We find the film educational, informative, and captivating.”

The 2010 production, which runs 120 minutes, tells the story of two whiz kids. They’re trying to enter an international quiz competition. One is denied registration because she is physically challenged; the other is accepted with open arms because she is from a well-to-do family, is able-bodied, and therefore, an excellent representative of the country abroad.

14-Plus Award

SEASONS OF A LIFE, a 2009 production by Charles Shemu Joyah of Malawi, won the 14-Plus Award for the best youth film on the account of its “creative beginning, good casting, good technical quality” and its “proclamation of the divinity of the motherhood in word and deed.”

Children’s and Youth films winners

The Christian Ditter-directed VORSTAADTKROKODILE|THE CROCODILES of Germany, and LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the UK, were declared second- and third-best children’s films.

WE WERE YOUNG by Namibia-based Philippe Talavera, and Vincent Chabrillant’s EN MODE AILLEURS of France, emerged second- and third-best youth films in the awards ceremony, which was held at the Kenya National Theatre in the heart of Nairobi on Saturday night.

The Lola Kenya Screen 2010 award winners

Golden Mboni for the best children’s film:

CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME by Mak’ Kusare of Nigeria.

Silver Mboni for the second best children’s film:

VORSTAADTKROKODILE by Christian Ditter of Germany.

Bronze Mboni for the third best children’s film:

LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the UK.

14-Plus Award for the best youth film:

SEASONS OF A LIFE by Charles Shemu Joyah of Malawi.

14-Plus Award for the second best youth film:

WE WERE YOUNG by Philippe Talavera of Namibia.

14-Plus Award for the third best youth film:

EN MODE AILLEURS by Vincent Chabrillant of France.

Best Documentary:

BIG SISTER PUNAM by Lucian and Natasa Muntean of Serbia.

Best Animation:

LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the United Kingdom.

Best TV series:

KOZUCHA KLAMZUCHA by Andrezj Kukula of Poland.

Best Student film:

GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Alexei Gubenco of Romania.

Best Children’s right film:

JANAKI by M.G. Sasi of India.

Audience’s Choice Award:

LOST AND FOUND by Philip Hunt of the UK.

Special Talent Prize:

Talent Empire by Simon Peter Otieno of Kenya.

Special Youth Prize:

Communicating for Change, Nigeria.

Worldwide participation

For its 5th edition which was presented from August 9-14, 2010 in Nairobi, Lola Kenya Screen received 302 films from 39 countries on five continents, in 34 languages.

39 countries

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Egypt
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• India
• Iran
• Italy
• Japan
• Kenya
• Kosovo
• Latvia
• Malawi
• Moldova
• Namibia
• Nepal
• The Netherlands
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Poland
• Romania
• Russia
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Uganda
• UK
• Ukraine
• USA

34 languages

• Albanian
• Amharic
• Arabic
• Chichewa
• Danish
• Dutch
• English
• Farsi
• Finnish
• French
• Gambay
• German
• Hokkein
• Italian
• Kannada
• Karamojong
• Kinyarwanda
• Kiswahili
• Luganda
• Malayalam
• Nepali
• (No dialogue)
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Setswana
• Sheng
• Singala
• Slovene
• Somali
• Spanish
• Tamang
• Tamil
• Turkish

Five continents

• North America
• South America
• Africa
• Asia
• Europe

The festival screened one-third of the films submitted for consideration in 10 sections:

• The Golden Mboni Award Competition for the best children’s film
• The 14-Plus Award Competition for the best youth film
• Films by Students
• Films by Children
• Films for Youth
• Eastern Africa Prism
• Television Series
• World Panorama
• Special Focus
• 4th Kids for Kids Africa.

The highest number of entries came from Spain, followed by Kenya and Nigeria.

First-time participants in the five-year festival were Kosovo, Tunisia, Malawi, Moldova, and Singapore.

Animation carried the most entries from almost every country and continent and a good number of experimental films were also registered.

Lola Kenya Screen 2010 witnessed an upsurge in the number of films made by children and youth (under age 18).

Sponsors

The 5th Lola Kenya Screen was supported by:

• Africa Movie Academy Awards
• Africalia
• ArtMatters.Info
• Belgian Development Cooperation
• Cinetoile
• ComMattersKenya
• DISCOP Africa
• European Union
• Mwelu Foundation
• UNESCO

For details or clarification

Telephone (mobile)

254 733 70374

254 722 486531

Telephone (landline)

254 20 315258

254 20 2213318

Email

director@lolakenyascreen.org

film@artmatters.info

Web

lolakenyascreen.org

artmatters.info

I’ve written about the show in a bit more detail over on the Total Recut blog. You can also visit the SAW website for the show.

BY AUSTIN BURBRIDGE. HOLLYWOOD (CINEMA MINIMA) — An acquaintance asked, “Which version of BLADE RUNNER do you prefer — the director’s cut, or the original?”

I have only ever seen the original 1982 release of BLADE RUNNER, an adaptation of a novel by science-fiction writer Philip K. Dick. The film had been directed by Ridley Scott.

However — this being Los Angeles — I do nevertheless have a story about the director’s cut. And an opinion about why I never seem to get around to seeing the later versions of the film.

A director calls

In the summer of 2007 I worked on the packaging for the five-disk Ultimate Collector’s Edition of BLADE RUNNER.

Everyone was anxious, because the job was already late going to manufacturing for a Christmas release.

When the thing came to me, I was surprised that the project was running late — the studios are usually maniacs about deadlines, and the packaging shop was — ordinarily — very good about being on time.

I was looking over the proofs when the phone rang.

It was Ridley Scott. That was surprising because — usually — directors have nothing to do with making DVDs of their films. That’s what distributors — and sales-and-marketing departments — are for.

Why on earth did the director call — concerning a feature he had shot twenty-five years ago? Incredibly, he wanted changes made to the packaging.

At that moment, I grasped why the job was late: apparently, Sir Ridley likes to fiddle with things — and to go right on making changes — up to the last possible minute.

Five — no — seven versions

I guess that explains — in part — why there have been seven versions of the movie over 25 years. And, I suspect, why, in 1982, the producers took the film away from him as its original release date approached.

I had already been scratching my head as to why the world needed a box with five — five! — distinct versions of any feature film.

BLADE RUNNER had been a wonderful movie experience when I saw it at a matinée at the Tower Theater in Houston in 1982. I had walked out of the cool cozy dark theater, into the brilliant hot daylight, in a lovely daze. The film had been impressive, and stimulating, and in every respect, completely entertaining.

Did it answer all the questions it raised? No. It did, however, adhere to one of the rules of show business: “Always leave ’em wanting more!” It’s like a good meal — better to stop eating when feeling just about satisfied, not to gorge until the stomach is full but the palate is dulled.

Were there obvious mistakes of continuity and realism? If the storyteller draws a viewer into its world, and sweeps her along in a powerful narrative, why would she would let her attention be diverted to details? (Of course, if a film is boring, then the details will distract; but fixing the details won’t make a boring film more interesting, either.)

Not a syllogism, but a poem

Was it perfect? Who cares! That’s not the job of art.

It’s a bit like what the atheist H. L. Mencken said about Catholicism:

The Latin Church — which I constantly find myself admiring despite its frequent astounding imbecilities — has always kept clearly before it the fact that religion is not a syllogism, but a poem.

I think — no; I feel — that film is not logical, but poetic. I guess that BLADE RUNNER — as released in 1982 — was a beautiful moment — like a poem; like a kiss.

I suspect that the six subsequent versions may be more like replicants!

Here’s what Harrison Ford said about a later version:

Spectacular, but it didn’t move me at all. They haven’t put anything in, so it’s still an exercise in design.

In principal, I agree. I don’t imagine that the other versions would be bad, I just wonder whether they were necessary.

Alternate versions and theatrical exhibition

I also wonder whether, in general, the making of “director’s cuts” — not of BLADE RUNNER, but other, more recent pictures — sends a bad message to audiences, that any theatrical release is somehow deficient, that the best movie would have been held back for DVD. I love the feeling, sitting in a movie theater, when the title credits come up, and the music swells, that This Is It. Not, This Is Almost — But Not Quite — It.

To me, a work of art is not only what it means or what it expresses: it is also a performance. At a particular moment. Not about second thoughts, or “do-overs.” In 1981, artists got together and gave their best performances, and collectively, made a statement about what Los Angeles had, by that time, already become.

BLADE RUNNER as film noir

BLADE RUNNER is — above all — a very late film noir. Not an homage, with a wink and nod; but a film noir in an unbroken tradition going back to the forties.

It was also — and here’s the part that raised it above mere melodrama — a statement about film noir: That films noir were again relevant to the kind of place that in 1982 America was becoming. In the same way that films noir in their heyday were meditations on the kind of America which had emerged after the Great Depression.

Films noir show women and men in a system which is so big and complicated and so thoroughly corrupt, that they cannot master it, let alone understand it. They’re parables about looking for certain knowledge, and discovering that nothing will ever be known with any certainty at all. I guess that may have been the mood at the dawn of the Reagan régime.

How the fashion for continuity editing deprecated voiceover narration

Because BLADE RUNNER is an instance of film noir, the voiceovers in the original version work very well. Voiceover narration is one of the signature elements of the genre.

The film noir never, never exists in the present — it is always a story recounted in the regretted past, perfect, tense. The best example I can think of is SUNSET BOULEVARD, whose story is narrated in voiceover by a dead man, Joe Gillis.

The removal of the voiceover narration from later versions of BLADE RUNNER is a solecism — a second thought, a failure of artistic nerve, more a bow to fashion than an improvement in storytelling technique.

I think that recent Hollywood filmmakers have deprecated voiceover because the fashion in filmmaking since 1980 has been for continuity editing, the goal of which is a “seamless” (or “perfect”) illusion of reality (lately, this vogue for perfect illusion has given rise to 3-D films such as AVATAR).

But, sometimes, the perfect can be the enemy of the good. Although continuity editing is an essential artistic device, it is but one among many. It ought to be used when it is effective, and appropriate. Otherwise, a storyteller can end up like the repair-person whose only tool is a hammer — “When the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.”

When continuity editing is used as the exclusive mode of storytelling, it ends up as a kind of packaging that merely signals to the audience that what ought to be a story is merely a kind of consumer packaged good. Audiences expect the cinema to count for more than that in their lives.

And it’s really too bad — there had been a world of glorious films which told their stories — and entertained their audiences — with devices which broke the illusion: montage, non-realistic sets, and voiceover.

The films submitted to the annual festival — whose theme in 2010 is Passion, Innovation, and Adaptability — came from 37 countries spread across five continents, and in 33 languages.

The highest number of entries came from Spain, followed by Kenya and Nigeria, with new interest in the festival coming from Kosovo, Tunisia, Malawi, Moldova, and Singapore.

Animation carried the most entries from almost every country and continent. Also received were experimental films. A large number of quality films made by children and youth — those under the age of 18 years — was registered.

Besides introducing media literacy in 2010, Lola Kenya Screen — which usually caters to children ages 6 years and over — is also programming films for pre-schoolers in the age bracket 3–6 years.

The films selected shall run under these categories:

• The Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film
• The 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film
• Films by Students
• Films by Children and Youth
• Films for Youth
• Eastern Africa Prism
• World Panorama
• Television Series
• Special Focus
• The 4th Kids For Kids Africa Festival/Competition

The countries represented at Lola Kenya Screen 2010 are …

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Ethiopia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• India
• Iran
• Italy
• Japan
• Kenya
• Kosovo
• Latvia
• Malawi
• Moldova
• Namibia
• Nepal
• The Netherlands
• Nigeria
• Norway
• Poland
• Romania
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Slovenia
• South Africa
• Spain
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Uganda
• UK
• Ukraine
• USA

… While the films came from …

• Africa
• Asia
• Europe
• North America
• South America

… they are made in these languages …

• Albanian
• Amharic
• Arab
• Chichewa
• Danish
• Dutch
• English
• Farsi
• Finnish
• French
• Gambay
• German
• Hokkein
• Italian
• Kannada
• Karamojong
• Kinyarwanda
• Kiswahili
• Luganda
• Malayalam
• Nepali
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Setswana
• Sheng
• Singala
• Slovene
• Somali
• Spanish
• Tamang
• Tamil
• Turkish

… and no dialogue.

The 5th Lola Kenya Screen has selected the following films:

1. 5th Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni Award Competition for the Best Children’s Film
   1. VORSTAADTKROKODILE|THE CROCODILES, Christian Ditter, 98′00″, 2009, Germany
   2. CHAMPIONS OF OUR TIME, Mak’ Kusare, 120′00″, 2010, Nigeria
   3. MYRSKY|STORM HEART, Kaisa Rastimo, 2008, 100′00″, Finland
   4. JANAKI| DAUGHTER OF THE EARTH, MG Sasi, 92′00″, 2010, India
   5. MAGICZNE DRZEWO|THE MAGIC TREE, Andrzej Maleszka, 90′00″, 2009, Poland
   6. KIKKERDRIL|FROGS AND TOADS, Simone Van Dusseldorp, 75′00″, 2009, The Netherlands
   7. BIG SISTER PUNAM, Lucian Muntean and Natasa Muntean, 51′00″, 2009, Serbia
   8. ALBERT’S WINTER, Andreas Koefoed, 29′00″, 2009, Denmark
   9. HELP PEOPLE IN NEED, Catherine Nyambura, 24′00″, 2010, Kenya
   10. LOST AND FOUND, Philip Hunt, 24′00″, 2008, UK
   11. THE MISINVENTIONS OF MILO WEATHERBY, William Whirity, 22′00″, 2008, USA
   12. KAD ABOLI RIPO| WHEN APPLES ROLL, Reinis Kalnaellis, 6′46″, 2009, Latvia
   13. MASALA MAMA, Michael Kam, 8′30″, 2010, Singapore
   14. ISFISKE|FISHING WITH SAM, Atle S. Blakseth, 6′00″, 2009, Norway
   15. A TREE AND A FLOWER, Tomoko Oguchi, 5′23″, 2010, USA
   16. ADVENTURES OF ALAYO, Olanrewaju Oluwafemi, 1′30″, 2009, Nigeria
   17. JESUISITO DE MI VIDA|DEAR CHILD JESUS, Jesus Perez-Miranda, 9’00″, 2009, Spain
   18. PACI|THE HUNGRY, JD Imaya Varman, 2009, India
   19. KATAKOMBO, Michael Zamjatnins, 7′17″, 2008, Germany
   20. A VARINHA MAGICA|THE MAGIC WAND, Kurt Shaw, 4′14″, 2009, USA
   21. MOMOM EST UNE EIKOILE|MUM IS A STAR, Trabelsi Marwen, 10′00″, 2008, Tunisia
   22. THE YELLOW HOUSE: KEVIN THE SUPERHERO, Catherine Kunze, Jacob Wellendorf, 9′00″, 2009, Denmark
2. 5th Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Award Competition for the Best Youth Film
   1. MONNA WA MMINO: THE MIKE MASOTE STORY, Norman Maake, 126′03″, 2009, South Africa
   2. SEASONS OF A LIFE, C Shemu Joyah, 102′00″, 2009, Malawi
   3. WE WERE YOUNG, Philippe Talavera, 54′00″, 2009, Namibia
   4. PODER|ABLE, Emilio Santin, 15′00″, 2008, Spain
   5. BABCIA WYJEZDZA|GRANDMA HAS GONE, Tomasz Jurkiewz, 18′00″, 2009, Poland
   6. EN MODE AILLEURS|AIRHEAD, Vincent Chabrillat, 13′00″, 2009, France
   7. KNOCK OFF, Rosanne Flynn, 11′27″, 2009, UK
   8. CARTA DE FRANCIA|LETTER FROM FRANCE, Diego Lopez Cotillo, 17′00″, 2009, Spain
   9. TOGETHERNESS SUPREME, Nathan Collet, 94′00″, 2010, USA/Kenya
3. Films by Students
   1. DE KLEINE KRAAI MET BLOTE BILLEN|THE LITTLE CROW WITH THE NAKED BOTTOM, Raimke Groothuizen, 5’00″, 2008, The Netherlands
   2. GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Alexei Gubenco, 3′00″, 2009, Romania
   3. ORKESTERI|THE ORCHESTRA,Joonas Rutanen and Veera Lehtola,7′40″,2010, Finland
   4. KATISKA|THE TRAP,  Jonni Mannisto, Janne Kukkonen, JP Saari, Mikko Korhone, 4′33″, 2008, Finland
   5. KIBERA HAMLETS, Josphat Keya, 6′10″, 2010, Kenya
   6. HAPPY RE-UNION, Evans Kamau, 5′10″, 2010, Kenya
   7. RISE TO THE OCCASION, John Ngaruiya, 10′46″, 2010, Kenya7′11″
   8. KIBERA MPIRA MTAANI, John Ngaruiya, 4’42″, 2010, Kenya
   9. À OUTRANCE, Martha Kisaka, 5′41″, 2010, Kenya
   10. SILENT BATTLE, Josphat Keya, 13′26″, Kenya
   11. THEY ARE MY BROTHERS TOO, Victor Oluoch, 8′00″, 2010, Kenya
4. Films for Youth
   1. CATCH THEM YOUNG, Awoba Bob Manuel, 19′00″, 2009, Nigeria
   2. I AM PREPARED, Awoba Bob Manuel, 19′00″, 2009, Nigeria
   3. MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, Mellamby Ileogben, 17′30″, 2009, Nigeria
   4. THE JUJU DOCTOR, Mellamby Ileogben, 18′40″, 2009, Nigeria
   5. ONLY ONCE, Tunde Kelani, 17′40″, 2009, Nigeria
   6. THE VISIT, Tunde Kelani, 19′35″, 2009, Nigeria
   7. YOU NO BE MAN, Tunde Kelani, 20′20″ 2009, Nigeria
5. Eastern Africa Prism
   1. MOTHER OR…, Aster Bedane, 7′46″, 2010, Ethiopia
   2. MSETO WAHAPAHAPA, Jordan Riber, Tanzania
   3. EKITABO KYO’BULAMU|THE BOOK OF LIFE, Patrick Sekyaya, 85′00″, Uganda
   4. THE CARTER, David Omurunga, 50′00″, 2010, Kenya
   5. MUSIC FOR CHANGE, Wilson Muiruri, 3′41″, 2010, Kenya
   6. BREAKING BARRIERS, Yamrot Ritgussde, Ethiopia, 2009
   7. BUUFIS: A QUEST FOR RESETTLEMENT, Solomon Mwendwa, 3′30″, 2009, Kenya
6. World Panorama
   1. YATAKA|NIGHT JAR, Keu kaizu,10′00″, 2009, Japan
   2. ARAROMIRE|THE FIGURINE, Kunle Afolayan, 2009, 120′00″, Nigeria
   3. BIG FAMILY, Anand and Madhura Katti, 50′00″, 2009, India
   4. ERKCAR MIR LIEBE|TALES OF LOVE, Florian Aigner, 70′00″, 2010 Germany
   5. SOOT ZADAN ZIRE AB|WHISTLING UNDER WATER, Hooshmand Varaei 15′00″, 2009, Iran
   6. NO WAY THROUGH, Alexandra Monro, Sheila Menon, 7′11″, 2009, UK
   7. QUIERO SER UNA GACELA|I AM A GAZELLE, Ana Rodriguez Rosell, 29′00″, 2009, Spain/Senegal
   8. DARKA|THE DINNER, Blerta Zeqiri, 17′00″, 2009, Kosovo
   9. PINOCCHIO AL CIRCO|PINOCCHIO AT THE CIRCUS, Jacob Barua, 13′00″, 2009, Italy
   10. ARENA|SAND, Jota Aronak, 19′00″, 2009, Spain
   11. EL RAYO Y LA SIRENA| THUNDERBOLT AND THE MERMAID, Diego Sanchidrian, 11′00″, 2009, Spain
   12. LEVEDAD|LIGHTNESS, Lucid Del Rio, 15′00″, 2010, Spain
   13. ADIÓS, MUÑECA|GOOD BYE DOLL, Hugo Sanz, 15′00″, 2010, Spain
   14. A INCRIVEL HISTCIRIA VOVOZINHA E O LOBO MAU|THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF GRANNY AND THE BIG BAD WOLF, Kurt Shaw, 3′48″, 2009, USA/Brazil
   15. CUANDO LLEGÓ LA MUERTE|WHEN THE DEATH CAME, Antonio de la Llera, 29′00″, 2009, Spain
   16. BLACK DOGS BARKING, Mehmet Bahadir Er and Maryna Gorbach, 88’00″, 2009, Turkey
   17. DI ME QUE YO|SAY ME, Mateo Gil, 15′00″, 2008, Spain
   18. DOPPELGANGER, Oscar de Julian, 20′00″, 2010, Spain
   19. VIVE LA CRISE, Alexei Gubenco, 3′00″, 2009, Romania/Moldova
   20. TU(A)MOR, Fernando Franco, 13′00″, 2009, Spain
   21. QUIERO SER UNA GACELA, Ana Rodriguez Rosell, 29′00″, 2009, Spain
   22. A BICYCLE MADE OF SALT, Trinidad Lemos, 15′00″, 2008, Argentina
   23. MOJ PUT|MY WAY, Veljko Popovic, 6′40″, 2010, Croatia
   24. KOZUCHA KLAMCZUCHA|YAZMIN THE COCKROACH, Kurt Shaw, 4′05″, 2009, USA/Brazil
   25. UNEARTHING THE PEN, Carol Salter, 12′00″, 2009, UK/Uganda
   26. THE IMP IN THE CITY, Dawn Westlake, 2′18″, 2010, USA
   27. ASTHAMANAM|SUNSET, J Ramesh, 5′00″, 2008, India
7. Television Series
   1. KORALE CZAROWNICY|THE WITCH’S BEADS, Aniela Lubieniecka, 13′00″, 2008, Poland
   2. KOZUCHA KLAMCZUCHA|THE LYING GOAT, Andrzej Kukuła, 13′00″, 2008, Poland
   3. KRÓL KRUKÓW|THE RAVEN KING, Jacek Adamczak, 13′00″, 2008, Poland
8. Special Focus
   1. Experimental films spanning painting, photography and video by Trabelsi Marwen of Tunisia.
9. Films by Children and Youth
   1. BINN BUNNY GOES GREEN, 30 young people aged 9 and 10,  6′30″, 2009, UK
   2. PRE HISTORIC PET SHOP, young people aged 13 and 18, 4′20″, 2009, UK
   3. ONE GOAL, ONE HOPE, Jeff Mohammed, 13′00″, 2010, Kenya
   4. MY BEAUTIFUL DRESS, 1’50″, 2009, Kenya
   5. HAPPY CLOUD, 61 young people aged 7 and 18, 5′24″, 2009, UK
10. 4th Kids For Kids Africa Festival/Competition
    1. The films for this category shall be announced on July 4, 2010 as the deadline for submission is June 30, 2010.

The Video Battle is a competition of audio/visual media work, the A/V battle, the VIDEODROME. Developed from the idea of the hip hop DJ battle, artists will throw down fast and hard attempting to out flash each other with selections, cuts and mixes extreme, humorous and dangerous.

See the links below for more details: http://www.dropframevideo.com/news.html http://www.mocca.ca/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/B

Experimental films, television series, and video games will be accepted. Even creatively packaged music videos, tackling issues related to children, youth, and family — and which provide strong role models to children and youth while speaking positively to children of diverse backgrounds — are welcome.

Showcases and Awards

Selected films will be showcased under various categories, with those starring children between ages of 6-13 competing for the prestigious Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni award for the best children’s film; those featuring children above 14 years competing for the Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Prize for the best youth film.

Workshops

The festival not only showcases films; it also places audiovisual media production tools into the hands of children and youth. It has equipped 92 children with basic skills — 47 in filmmaking, 19 in creative journalism, nine in events organization and presentation, and 17 in the critical appreciation of films. Its annual film production workshops have realised 20 short animations and eight documentaries.

Lola Kenya Screen Film Festival entry rules and submission form are online in PDF format. Details about the festival, and other Lola Kenya Screen activities are available at the Lola Kenya Screen Web site.

Films must be received between 2009 December 1, and 2010 April 15. Entries must reach the Lola Kenya Screen no later than 2010 April 15.

The festival — which recognizes that adults must be sensitised into creating for and with children and youth — has been held annually since 2006. By its fourth edition in August 2009, Lola Kenya Screen had showcased 1,450 films from six continents. The 2009 edition had attracted 315 films in 33 languages, out of which more than 250 were shown to over three thousand people.

The 2009 Golden Mboni prize went to IO PARLO by Marco Gianfreda of Italy, the Silver Mboni to THE HAPPY DUCKLING by Gili Dolev of Scotland/Israel, and the Bronze Mboni to PAMELA by James Kanja of Kenya. The Golden Mboni has been awarded since 2006.

The 14-Plus award was inaugurated in 2009, and was won by South Africa’s UGUGU NO ANDILE, a timeless love story set against the backdrop of a political war, directed by Minky Schlessinger. The 14-Plus award for the second and third best youth films went to Norway’s A BEAUTIFUL TRAGEDY by David Kinsella, and to Kenya’s FROM A WHISPER by Wanuri Kahiu, respectively.

Prior to working as a journalist, Zychal pursued a career as an actress. She toured several American states performing a one-woman show “Merely the Ravings of a Maniac,” that she wrote and produced. Her screenplay, What Comes Next, is a dark comedy about the difficulty of being married to a professional golfer. Zychal is writing a TV pilot called “Eco-Hookers.” She was educated at Lehigh University and studied abroad in England and Switzerland.

The formation of this firm, and its new, “fusion distribution” strategy, throws light on the dramatic changes in the market for independent films.

The 2009 American Film Market was a laboratory for producers and distributors (and a few filmmakers) to discover precisely how the market has changed; to experiment with new ways to get films before audiences; and to devise new methods to recoup investments and to realize profits from their productions.

The new market for independent films

In 2009 the market for independent movies is smaller, and heterogeneous. A producer cannot depend on a single big sale to Hollywood to recoup her costs or make profits; nor can she afford to “leave money on the table,” in smaller markets, new media, or new venues for exhibition.

Now, a filmmaker must begin early — in preproduction — to think about how she will sell her movie, get it distributed, and market it to an audience. Putting off those questions until after a film would have been completed is no longer a practical option.

Audience development

With so very many different kinds of entertainment competing for time, attention, and dollars, a movie audience is no longer a given. Nowadays, a movie does not find its audience, nor does an audience discover a movie; instead, an independent movie production must develop an audience.

Independent filmmakers must start to do what Hollywood has been doing for decades — start to work early with media, advertisers, and sponsors to develop audiences using coherent combinations of publicity, promotion, and co-branding. These relationships would not only provide financing; they would also leverage partnerships with established brands to seize public awareness — and amplify a film’s marketing message far beyond the reach of publicity and advertising.

House of Film’s new strategy for a new market

In an exclusive interview with Cinema Minima, founder Ava B. — previously, Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions at LongTale, a foreign sales and intellectual property asset management company — explained her firm’s “Fusion Distribution” strategy.

“House of Film connects independent movies with both traditional and non-traditional distribution. We can reach the widest possible global audience and maximize producers’ revenue in a new ‘fusion distribution’ model.

“This new business model underscores our ability to incorporate product placement and integration, as well as sponsorships, into the production of quality independent films.

“Watching what’s happening to distribution these days — traditional distribution does not work any longer, but new distribution does not work yet,” she averred. This refers to the fact that — although the number of persons who go to the movies continues to decrease, and DVD sales are declining — the number of persons getting movies online has not increased so much as to make up the difference. In short, the total audience for motion picture entertainment is shrinking. As Ava B. puts it, “Filmmakers are independent, but filmmakers are lost: There is no good solution to make enough money from their content.

“So, putting together my experiences — and learning from the mistakes of other companies — I thought, all right, let’s put this together: What can work? The business model of this company, is basically, optimizing profits from any content; to look at the content and see how much it can carry:

• Find the optimum distribution strategy.
• Combine digital technologies with the best of the traditional methods, for both USA domestic and international distribution.
• Negotiate contracts that provide the most lucrative return.

“First, start at the top with the best options of traditional distribution, then go one level lower, one level lower, like television, then DVD … and go through all the levels of traditional distribution. We have something like eight thousand buyers in our database — we are rather well-connected, especially with Academy Award-worthy content [i. e., SUNRISE/SUNSET] that brings in the important buyers.

“Once we have finished with the traditional distribution, we monetize the content as much as possible across all media. We switch over to non-traditional distribution for the content,” she said, “and we are trying to find other ways to monetize the content, for example, sponsorships, or cover-mount deals.

Product Integration and product placement

“And, we are looking at movies in development, where we could do product integration or product placement. That is why it is important for the company to pick up quality movies, so that it would be well-positioned to be attractive to high-end brands, so that — the Chanels, the Diors, and the Pradas of the world would not mind being associated with our company. That’s the vision. That’s what we are aiming for. …

Worldwide distribution under the House of Film brand


”… And we pick up the content accordingly. House of Film offers worldwide distribution to films — of any genre — that meet the highest standards in aesthetics, with a special focus on movies that relate to design, fashion, or the arts. Visually, quality has to be ‘A-plus’; or, a picture must be innovative in its presentation. We can pick up high-art movies, or a horror movie — if it is quality — or even an action movie, or a documentary.”

House of Film’s current lineup reflects its openness to different kinds of films — as well as its insistence on superlative visual quality. “These are all pearls here,” Ava B. remarks.

• SUNRISE/SUNSET: DALAI LAMA XIV follows the iconic Tibetan leader for one day for an intimate — and revealing — portrait.
• BELLADONNA is a feature which uses time travel to examine the moment of a wedding to contrast the evanescence of courtship with the permanence of love.
• FOR THE NEXT 7 GENERATIONS presents 900 years of wisdom and prophecy from the 13 most-powerful female elders on the planet.
• TATTOOS is a gripping documentary enlivened by celebrity cameos.
• MILAREPA is the epic story of Tibet’s greatest yogi and saint.
• THE RAIN is a wordless, all-dancing sequence of ravishing tableaux of love and passion.

Fashion + Design + Filmmaking

In this new environment, a distributor must be more than an efficient business opertion. To be a nexus for buyers and sellers, a market-maker must have a recognizable identity, a theme, a focus.

“Since we are aiming at establishing relationships with advertisers and sponsors,” Ava B. explains, “I thought: There is something no one is doing yet — and there is such an obvious need for it. To connect the three big businesses — fashion, design, and filmmaking/film distribution — under one umbrella. I would like this company to be the connecting point.

“Buyers would know that — when they come to House of Film — whatever they find here will be beautiful. It can be the beauty of the soul; it can be the beauty of the form, or the design, the fashion; or it can be via the participation of an artist. … Sooner or later, we will be identified as the meeting point. There’s no company that does that. It is an interesting niche; a new concept.”

A return to quality

“These days, everyone is going for quantity over quality — they’re aggregating bigger and bigger,” she observes. “If everone is going one way, there is room for someone who is doing exactly the opposite — quality over quantity.”

A focus on quality is a welcome development. The recent glut of undistinguished motion picture entertainments — created by financial, not business, considerations — has damaged the “brand” of cinema. Audiences no longer trust the movies to reliably deliver the high-quality confections of spectacle, drama, meaning, and pleasure which had made the cinema the unrivaled form of popular entertainment throughout the twentieth century. This has been especially destructive of the interests of independent filmmakers and distributors. At the Independent Film & Television Alliance’s 2009 Production Conference, independent producer (and former studio head) Bill Mechanic complained that the principal challenges to independent films are neither finance nor distribution nor piracy, but poor quality and lack of originality.

If cinema is to retrieve its privileged place in the popular imagination, and to resume its stature as a business which attracts the best and the brightest, it must again invest in the fundamental mythic and visual qualities which are meaningful to its customers. Also, it must promote business practices which foster its long-term prospects, and deprecate decisions which are motivated by short-term, financial considerations.

House of Film comes to market with a powerful strategy, singular films, and savvy, experienced management. Navigating by the pole star of æsthetic quality, it is well-positioned to prosper in this new and challenging market.

“The AFM is about the business of film — everyone is selling something — so it’s the perfect venue for a Favorite Film Pitch contest,” says AFM Managing Director Jonathan Wolf. “Imagine the winner telling a producer, The public voted my project the film they most wanted to see get made. That’s powerful.”

Pitches will be recorded live, in person, November 7–10 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM in the AFM Filmmakers Lounge at Le Merigot Hotel, 1740 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. A filmmaker can just show up, fill out the Entry Form & Release, and wait for her turn to record her pitch. An AFM badge will not be needed, but if there’s a line, priority will go to participants with an AFM badge or an AFM Seminar Ticket.

Only one film idea may be pitched. A pitch may not exceed two-and-a-half minutes. One retake, but no edits or pauses. Participants may not review the video afterwards.

Afterward, the AFM will assemble a group of industry leaders to select five finalists. Their pitches will be posted on the PCA Web site following the broadcast of “The 2010 People’s Choice Awards” show on the American television network CBS in early January 2010, allowing fans to choose the ultimate winner: the film they would most like to see get made.

In addition to receiving the Favorite Film Pitch award, the winner will also receive an AFM 2010 package that includes full access for two to the AFM, including seminars and conferences; airfare for two to Los Angeles; hotel for five nights in Santa Monica; and scheduled meetings with producers and distributors. Contest guidelines.