Israeli films won the two major awards at the recent Lola Kenya Screen film festival for children and youth held in Nairobi. The 76-minute feature film “Giborim Ktanim’ (“Little Heroes’) by Itai Lev won the Golden Mboni, with the 51-minute “Ringo & Taher’ by Jony Arbid winning the Silver Mboni.
“My Date from Hell’, a 14-minute animation film directed by Tim Weimann and Tim Bracht of Germany, won the Bronze Mboni. It was also ranked the best short film by the festival jury, comprising Esther Njeri, Jaycy Wali, Mina Ogova, Adima Mesa NyOdero and Phoebe Akinyi Ahoya, whose ages range between 9 and 16 years.
Winning the Creativity Award at the ceremony presided over by Director of Culture Silverse Anami and child rights activist Catherine Mumma at Goethe-Institut in Nairobi CBD was “Little Knowledge is Dangerous’, a five-minute animation film made by Samora Michelle, Adede Hawi NyOdero and Karama K Ogova. This was one of the three, five-minute films made during the second Lola Kenya Screen film production workshop facilitated by Maikki Kantola of Finland for Project ANIMA of Denmark. Other films made during the six-day workshop were “The Wise Bride’ and “Ogre in the Village’.
Other winners at Lola Kenya Screen were:
Best Child Rights Film: “Agaram’ by J Ramesh, India
Best Animation Film: “More, Strycku, Proc Je Slane?’ (“The Sea, Uncle, Why Is It Salty?’) By Jan Balej, Czech Republic
Best Experimental Film: “Itmanna’ (“Make a Wish’) by Cherien Dabis, Palestine/ USA
Best Student Film: “The Girl Through The Telescope’ by Niels Bisbo, Denmark
Best Directorial Debut Film: “Vanaja’ by Rajnesh Domalpalli, India
Audience’s Choice Award: “Drommen’ (“We Shall Overcome’) by Niels A Oplev, Denmark
Jury Commendation: “Antes Y Despues De Besar A Maria’ (“Before and After Kissing Maria’) by Ramon Alos, Spain
Best East African Film: “Real Saharawi’ by Caroline Kamya, Uganda
See full story in the September issue of Screen Africa.
