The Kenyan feature film, Togetherness Supreme, which is based on actual events during the 2008 post-election violence in Kenya, won the Best International Film award at the recent Santa Barbara International film Festival in California, US.
Filmed in Kibera, Togetherness Supreme features an entirely local cast and provided work for Kenyan trainees. Directed by Nathan Collett the film shows a street level vantage point of the riots. Kama, a talented young artist living in Kiberia, Kenya, is recruited by his friend Otieno to support a potential presidential candidate in the midst of a heated political race. In order to join, Kama must put aside the wishes of his father and turn away from the people of his village in order to achieve change after years of living in poor conditions. Things get even more complicated when a young woman enters the picture, causing friction between Kama and Otieno. Kama’s beliefs, heart and loyalty are put to the test in a city with rising tempers while the possibility of a major political upheaval is drawing near.
The esteemed Jury for the Santa Barbara Festival included: actor Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future); festival originator Phyllis de Picciotto; actor Billy Baldwin (Gossip Girl);
writer/director Paul Brickman (Risky Business) and his wife Jennifer Brickman; writer/producer Rusty Lemorande (Electric Dreams, Captain EO), Frank Donner (producer, Deliver Us From Evil); actor Anthony Zerbe (The Matrix) and his wife Arnette Zerbe and director Andy Davis (The Fugitive).
