The annual Lola Kenya Screen film festival for children and youth is calling on interested parties to submit quality films to the fifth edition, which will take place in August 2010.
Lola Kenya Screen accepts films made by children, youth, amateurs, students and professionals that focus on children, youth and family. The following formats are accepted: experimental films, television series, video games and creatively packaged music videos tackling issues related to children, youth and family and that provide strong role models to children and youth while speaking positively to children of diverse backgrounds.
At the 2009 edition of Lola Kenya Screen, 315 films in 33 languages were submitted for the festival. From these, more than 250 were shown to a total of 3,023 people.
Lola Kenya Screen recognises that adults must be sensitised into creating programmes for and with children and youth. The festival has run since 2006 and has showcased 1,450 films from around the world to date.
In addition, the festival places audiovisual media production tools in the hands of children and youth. It has equipped 47 children with basic skills in filmmaking, 19 others in creative journalism, nine in events organisation and presentation and 17 others in the critical appreciation of films. Through the annual film production workshops, Lola Kenya Screen has realised 20 short animations and eight documentaries.
Selected films are showcased under various categories with those starring children between ages of 6-13 competing for the prestigious Lola Kenya Screen Golden Mboni award for the best children’s film and those featuring children above 14 years competing for the Lola Kenya Screen 14-Plus Prize for the best youth film.
While the Golden Mboni has been awarded since 2006, the 14-Plus award was inaugurated in 2009 and was won by South Africa’s uGugu no Andile, a timeless love story set against the backdrop of a political war and directed by Minky Schlessinger.
The 2009 Golden Mboni prize went to Io Parlo of Italian Marco Gianfreda, the Silver Mboni to The Happy Duckling by Gili Dolev of Scotland/Israel and the Bronze Mboni to Pamela by James Kanja of Kenya.
The 14-Plus award for the second and third best youth films went to Norway’s A Beautiful Tragedy by David Kinsella and Kenya’s From a Whisper by Wanuri Kahiu, respectively.
All entries submitted must be suitable for children ages 13 and under, youth aged 14-25 years, or family (25+).
Downloadable film entry details—submission form and regulation in PDF format—are already online at lolakenyascreen.org, i.e. http://www.lolakenyascreen.org/downloads/2010.film.submissions.pdf
Films are received between 1 December 2009 and 15 April 2010.
