Kalasha marks a decade of celebrating Kenyan talent
The 2019 Kalasha Awards winners. PHOTO | POOL
Kalasha International Film and TV Awards is an annual event by the Kenya Film Commission that recognises, celebrates and awards exceptional talent in TV and Film.
Dubbed the Oscars of Kenya, Kalasha Awards is the biggest film and TV event in East and Central Africa. The Awards provide an energy boost to create quality content and to improve the delivery of stories while celebrating talent.
This year, Kalasha Awards mark the 10th year since inception. A notable inclusion in this year’s categories is the Best Children Production. From the Commission’s Audience Development Strategy research, there has been a growing need for children content on our screens and as a result, the Commission introduced the category to acknowledge the Producers who have developed concepts to accommodate our children as screen audiences. The 10th edition of the Kalasha Awards Gala is scheduled for Saturday, 12th December 2020.
Following the monetary incentive introduced last year to accompany the award, Kalasha Awards present stiff competition among nominees in the Film Category, TV Category as well as the Special Awards Category that includes Student Films, Student Documentaries, Animation and the aforementioned Children Production.
A nine-member Jury academy drawn from the film industry was tasked to review the submitted film and TV projects and shortlist the nominees. The Jury comprised: Mr James Kanja (Kalasha Jury Chair | Producers Guild), Mr Fred Makori (Kenya National Film Association), Ms Jackline Emali (Kenya Scriptwriters Guild), Mr Simon Mwaura (Riverwood Ensemble), Mr Mishael Mose (Association of Film Producing Educational Institutions in Kenya), Ms Joy Alunga (Association of Animation Artists of Kenya), Mr Alfred Munyua (Kenya Actors Guild), Mr Joe Kageni (Kenya Film and Television Professionals Association) and Ms Loise Makato (Media Council of Kenya).
19 categories of the nominees were subjected to public voting that closed on the 3rd December 2020. Public voting constitutes 30% while the Jury vote constitutes 70% of the total vote.
The Jury noted an improvement in the quality of productions. “This year, the stories are more authentic and relatable and filmmakers are pushing the boundaries of creativity”, stated Mr. James Kanja, the Jury Chairperson. He also pointed out that the rise of new actors, including children, is evident and this guarantees continuity in the creative industry.
Kalasha Awards is one of the Commission’s key projects where the winners of various categories in the TV and Film are celebrated, and as such, creating a vibrant film industry in Kenya.
By recognising our own level of excellence and the achievements of our film practitioners, we set benchmarks for future film-makers and encourage the expansion of the industry. Additionally, the Awards encourage a healthy level of competition amongst film makers which will lead to higher levels of good practice within the industry.
The Commission also hosts the Kalasha International TV and Film Market - an annual event that showcases East African and international companies offering high-level interaction for trading and sharing film and TV-related ideas with side events that include conferences, master classes, workshops, coaching and pitching sessions.
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