Film gaining popularity in schools drama festivals
Nairobi Institute of Business Studies' winning play titled Prostitution, scripted and directed by Samuel Sowedi. The production will be staged during the 56th edition of the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama Festivals, which start on April 7, 2015 in Nakuru County. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- It is one of the genres now gaining popularity in the Kenya National Drama Festivals.
- The 2015 festival which is sponsored by Mount Kenya University ends on April 15 with MKU Gala day at Melvin Jones Hall and Lohana Hall.
- The Ministry of Sports Culture and Arts will have the schools film festival as one of its sources for identifying talented students in film.
- According to Dr Simon Peter Otieno of the University of Nairobi, this genre in the drama festival is opening up numerous possibilities in career choices for students.
The film genre has grown in leaps and bounds since 2012 when the Ministry of Education introduced it.
It is one of the genres now gaining popularity in the Kenya National Drama Festivals.
Some schools and colleges have taken it up with so much zeal that the Kalasha Academy in 2014 gave a thumbs up to a job well done to the 10 entries the Ministry of Education presented.
For the first time this year, the films will be screened in the residential institutions where the students who will make it for the national festival will be staying.
There is also a plan by the Kenya National Drama Festivals executive committee to screen the films for the public in Nakuru Town during the national fete.
The 2015 festival, which is sponsored by Mount Kenya University, ends on April 15, with a MKU Gala day at Melvin Jones Hall and Lohana Hall.
It is noteworthy that girls’ schools have completely overrun the boys in the film genre.
In fact, there is a possibility that the boys may be left out big in the Film School that the President has commissioned that will pick students based on talent.
The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts will use the schools film festival to identify talented students in film.
Locally produced films will also help media houses comply with the requirement that 60 per cent of what they air be local content by 2018.
According to Dr Simon Peter Otieno of the University of Nairobi, this genre in the drama festival is opening up numerous possibilities in career choices for students.
It should benefit students in more than just preparing for a possible career.
Nyagatugu Boys High School is a good example of a school that paid fees for its lead actors with the money generated from selling to parents their 2012 winning film A Story Is Told.
