The Mohamed Amin Foundation’s MoFORCE Training for Television and Film won both student categories at this year’s 2nd Annual Kenya International Film Festival, KIFF. Two alumni also featured in two of the open categories.
Best Student Documentary – Change Makers, Produced and directed by 3rd year advanced student Toni Mumbi Kamau, MoFORCE 8. Toni led the 2nd year advanced students of MoFORCE 9 through this ambitious documentary filmed in six African countries. The 2nd year students; Christine Kinyanjui, Kabinda Lemba, Fabian Rodrigues and Brian Kyallo did the filming and audio recording in two-person teams working under Kamau’s direction. All four students rotated in the technical roles as part of their training. Each of the two teams shot in three of the six countries: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
The students were under a tight filming deadline for the NGO ECWD (Education Centre for Women in Democracy). They started filming in May and had to have the finished product ready by mid July, complete with graphics and subtitles. Fabian Rodrigues edited the documentary. The documentary is a remarkable achievement considering that there were four different camera-persons and sound recordists. Even with this unusual method of production and tight deadline, they were able to create a uniform look, and a professional level of production.
The jury comments:
Best Documentary: Change Makers, by Toni Mumbi Kamau MoFORCE 8 The Mohamed Amin Foundation (Kenya): An example of how through well organized and focused production a team of students’ work can produce a market standard and pertinent documentary.
Best Student Short Film – The Chase – Produced during the Polar meets Solar student exchange and filmmaking workshop 2006, directed by Indian student Shradda Passi. The Foreign Ministry of Finland has been sponsoring the Polar meets Solar student filmmaking workshop since 1999. To date there have been nine PmS exchanges coordinated and delivered by the directors of the Mohamed Amin Foundation. In 2006, 18 students; six from The Mohamed Amin Foundation, six from the Helsinki Polytechnic, STADIA and six from the Film and Television Institute of India, FTII, combined to make three short films in just 11 days.
The Chase, one of the three films was made by six students working in a cross-cultural team comprised of two students from each institute. Kenya’s Stellah Njoroge, MoFORCE 8, was the editor and commended for her effort by the jury. Benson “Mugo’ Kahiga, MoFORCE 8 was one of two cameramen.
The Finnish students were Jukka Saharinen – 2nd cameraman and Maija Puska – producer & assistant director. The Indian students were: Anil Radhakrishnan – sound recordist & composer of the music score and Shradda Passi – director. The Chase was adapted from a short story written by Finnish student Johanna Salmi.
The Jury comment on this winning Film
Best Short film : The Chase, by Shradda Pasi entered by The Mohamed Amin Foundation (Kenya): Successful example of how to tell a story through the “simple” use of creative editing, evocative soundtrack and energetic pace…. with a surprising twist.
