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Kenya drama festival: Film category introduced
Photo/FILE Students of Shimo La Tewa Jackson Kimyu and Hamisi Alfani in the play ''Aftermath" during the schools and colleges national drama festival at Bomas of Kenya on April 10, 2011.
Posted Friday, February 3 2012 at 18:04
A film category has been introduced in the national Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival.
The film festival is being organised by the Ministry of Education and University of Nairobi.
Schools from Central that are participating in the film category are CDM Mugoiri Girls High, Mary Hill High, Nyagatugu Boys, Nyeri High and Karima Girls.
From Nyanza, Erenge SDA Primary School, Golden Elite School and Elimu Academy will take part.
Kakamega High School, Friends School Kamusinga and Butere Girls High will represent Western.
Only two teams from Eastern, Chogoria Girls and Tala Boys/Tala Girls, are doing a screen production.
Nairobi’s Kenya High School, Light Academy, Moi Nairobi Girls, St Georges Girls and Ruthimitu Mixed are also set for the film festival.
Wareng High and Menengai High School are the only two participating teams from Rift Valley.
It is not clear why Coast and North Eastern are not taking part.
Already shooting
Teams from Nyanza are already shooting their productions under the directorship of Obino Nyambane.
The film festival category will complement the traditional stage plays, dances, poetry and oral narratives.
The scripts, directing, shooting and production will be done by teachers while students will do the acting.
About 100 drama teachers have been attending a five-day workshop from January 31 at Kangaru Boys High School in Embu were they were trained in scripting, acting and filming, including packaging the final product.
“The new category is aimed at preparing talented students for possible careers in acting and cinematography,” said the festival’s national chairman Kahura Chokera.
Mr Chokera, who is also the drama secretary for Eastern Province, said outstanding films will be shown to the public.
Film coordinator Symon Peter Otieno of the University of Nairobi said winning films will also be screened on local television in April.
Dr Otieno said this will be a big step in fulfilling government’s wish that most material on TV be local. “We have a long way to go but we are determined to make this initiative a success,” says Dr Otieno.
RSS