Artist Presentation

Artist Presentation: by premier film producer – Ruby, Feb. 14 2013 @ Kuona Trust

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Artist Presentation
After learning that Brand Kenya would have an exhibition centre during the Olympics, Ruby undertook a project to showcase to both tourists and investors aspects of our country which many people are not familiar with. She also wanted members of the Kenyan Diaspora to get a glimpse of how far we have come, particularly in the last 10 years.

The clip was shown at Kenya House in London and has since been uploaded onto YouTube having about 8,000 views in just 5 days.

View: Kenya Today really worth Knowing
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-amwNq8MFw]

Come interact with the artist and learn more about her work and experiences this Thursday, 14th February at Kuona Trust from 2pm.

Images De France

Images de Nairobi: A week of French Cinema in Nairobi, Feb. 11-16 2013 @ Alliance & Cinemart

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Images De France
Recent and critically acclaimed films at the 10th edition of the ‘Images de France’ Film Festival in Nairobi with daily shows at Alliance Française de Nairobi and the newly opened Cinemart cinema in Kawangware (off Naivasha Road, net to Deliverance Church).
Time: Alliance 7 pm daily & Cinemart 4 pm
Entry: Free

Programme
Mon. 11 Feb, 7pm (Alliance Française) & Wed. 13 Feb, 4pm (Cinemart, Kawangware)
THE ARTIST by Michel Hazanavicius, 2011, 1h40, drama, in French with English subtitles – General Exhibition
The story follows the relationship of Georges Valentin (Jean Dujardin), an older silent movie star, and Peppy Miller (Bérénice Béjo), a rising young actress, as silent cinema falls out of fashion and talking films take over.

Tue. 12 Feb, 7pm (Alliance Française) & Thu. 14 Feb, 4pm (Cinemart, Kawangware)
COMME UN CHEF by Daniel Cohen, 2012, 1h24, comedy, in French with English subtitles – General Exhibition
Jacky Bonnot is a talented amateur chef who dreams of owning his own restaurant. Unfortunately his present financial situation makes it highly unlikely that he will ever fulfil his dream. He manages to scrape a living by doing odd jobs which he can just about hold onto, until the day his path crosses that of Alexandre Lagarde, a renowned chef…

Wed. 13 Feb, 7pm (Alliance Française) & Fri. 15 Feb, 4pm (Cinemart, Kawangware)
POLISSE by Maïwenn, 2011, 2h07, drama, in French with English subtitles – 16yrs and above
A gripping police drama based on true accounts from the Parisian Child Protection Unit. The daily grind for the officers of the Child Protection Unit includes taking in offenders, making arrests, interrogations, taking statements but also the sense of solidarity between colleagues during lunch breaks. It is knowing the worst exists and trying to live with it. How do these police officers balance their private lives and the reality they are confronted with every working day?

Thu. 14 Feb, 7pm (Alliance Française) & Tue. 12 Feb, 4pm (Cinemart, Kawangware)
LOUP (The Wolf) by Nicolas Vanier, 2009, 1h42, drama, in French with English subtitles – General Exhibition
Sergei is an Eveny, the nomadic reindeer herders living in the wild mountains of Eastern Siberia. At the age of 16, Sergei is put in charge of his clan’s largest herd. In the Siberian vastness, the wolves remain a perennial threat to the reindeer. Sergei has learnt to hunt the wolves without any qualms, until the day that he encounters a female with a litter of four cubs…

Fri. 15 Feb, 7pm (Alliance Française) & Mon. 11 Feb, 4pm (Cinemart, Kawangware)
UN BONHEUR N’ARRIVE JAMAIS SEUL (Happiness never comes alone) by James Huth, 2012, 1h50, comedy, in French with English subtitles – 16yrs and above
Sacha loves his friends, his piano and partying. At night, he plays in a jazz club and seduces pretty girls. He lives for the moment, looking for pleasure. Charlotte has three kids, two ex-husbands and a thriving professional life. She has no room for a love story. They have nothing in common and shouldn’t be together… but they are made for one another

Sat. 16 Feb, 10am (Alliance Française) & Sat. 16 Feb, 10am (Cinemart, Kawangware)
UNE VIE DE CHAT (A Cat in Paris) by Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli, 2010, 1h10 min, animation, in English – 6yrs and above
Dino is a cat who shares his life between two houses. During the day, he lives with Zoé, the only daughter of Jeanne, a police captain. During the night, he clambers over the roofs of Paris in the company of Nico, a very skillful thief.

Kesho Imefika Opening

Documentary & Festival Opening: Disputed Fields & Performance by Eric Wainaina + Best Band In Africa, Jan 28 2013 @ Alliance

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Kesho Imefika Opening
Disputed Fields is one of a series of four films produced by InformAction which all focus on messages that have resonance across Kenya. It will open the ‘Kesho Ime Fika’ Festival.
This documentary is a ‘bottom up’ look at issues of land and tensions between the Kalennjin and Kikuyu communities in the region. It takes a sensitive approach, hearing the views of both communities as we had into the elections.

After the screening there will be a Live Performance by Eric Wainaina & the best band in Africa
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr7_OI7QmVk] Find full programme here

kesho

Festival on Elections and Leadership, Jan. 28 – Feb. 1 2013 @ Alliance

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kesho

programme E Flyer
KESHO IME FIKA
A Citizen’s Festival on elections and leadership presented by Alliance Française in partnership with INFORM Action, The XYZ Show, Picha Mtaani & Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda

Dates: January 28 to February 1, 2013
Time: Daily at 7pm
Entrance: Free

This multidisciplinary festival will tackle issues of unity and diversity, corruption and impunity, land issues and reform, governance and leadership with critical eyes and voices, through the mediums of editorial cartoons, XYZ puppets, ‘Kenya Burning’ photographs, music and performing arts, documentaries and public service announcements.
Cartoons by leading Kenyan cartoonists and ‘Kenya Burning’ photographs by Boniface Mwangi will graphically illustrate the path that must be avoided.

A series of short documentaries by ‘INFORM Action’ that specializes in film and community discussions, led by Maina Kiai, former Chairman of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission and UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Assembly and of Association, will engage Kenyans on the persistent need to demand political and social accountability.

Skits and voice talents from the XYZ show together with musicians and comedians including Dan ‘Chizi’ Aceda, Winyo and Larry Asego will use their artistic expressions to emphasize the essence of the festival.

Sauti za Busara

Out of Town: 10th Sauti za Busara Festival, Feb. 14-17 2013 @ Old Fort in Zanzibar

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Sauti za Busara
Dates: February 14-17, 2013
Venue: Old Fort in Zanzibar
Festival Tickets*: EA Residents US $29, International Visitors US $109
Programme: Festival Timetable

*Festival admission prices vary with citizeship. Find full info here

The Festival
The festival will celebrate a lifetime achievement of bringing together artists and audiences from around Africa and beyond with enriching cultural experiences, promoting cultural diversity and social development for the past 10 years.
Sauti za Busara is an annual music event in East Africa and widely known as ‘the friendliest festival on the planet’. This edition will feature 200 musicians: more than twenty five groups from East Africa and beyond; acoustic and electric, upcoming and established – all performing live.

The Old Fort will host three nights of non-stop live music, with the main programme continuing Friday through Sunday with performances from 5pm until 1am.

The festival also features African Music Films: documentaries, music videos and live concert footage, all focused on promoting the richness and diversity of African music as screened in the amphitheatre of the Old Fort.

Headline Artist Cheikh Lo – Senegal
Headline artist for the 10th edition of Sauti za Busara is internationally acclaimed Baye Fall artist Cheikh Lo from Senegal. A superb singer and songwriter as well as a distinctive guitarist, percussionist and drummer he has personalized and distilled a variety of influences from West and Central Africa, to create a style that is uniquely his own.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5DEvuFWxxo] To celebrate ten years of Sauti za Busara, the festival showcases “Best of the Best”; audience favourites of past years including Tanzania’s DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra.

Zanzibar’s Culture Musical Club will also showcase at the 10th edition and they remain the most prolific and successful taarab orchestra from East Africa.

Other main acts include Khaira Arby (Mali), Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka (Zimbabwe), Atongo Zimba (Ghana), N’Faly Kouyaté (Guinea), Nathalie Natiembe (Reunion), Nawal & Les Femmes de la Lune (Comoros/Mayotte), Wazimbo (Mozambique), The Moreira Project (Mozambique/South Africa), Owiny Sigoma Band (Kenya/UK), Mokoomba (Zimbabwe), Msafiri Zawose & Sauti Band (Tanzania), Mani Martin (Rwanda), Burkina Electric (Burkina Faso/USA), Lumumba Theatre Group (Tanzania), Sousou & Maher Cissoko (Senegal/Sweden), Super Maya Baikoko (Tanzania), Peter Msechu (Tanzania) and many more.

Networking Space
Sauti za Busara will continue to host the Movers & Shakers networking forum for local and visiting arts professionals. This networking space facilitates discussions, exchange and development of ideas on the creative industries in the East African region and beyond.

Fringe Events
It’s not just the festival that puts on a show; the local community is encouraged to take part by hosting Busara Xtra fringe events. These include traditional ngoma drum and dance, fashion shows, dhow races, open-mic sessions, after-parties and performances of Zanzibar’s oldest taarab orchestras as arranged by the local community.

For More Information: www.busaramusic.org

hori_POSTER

[Update] Kwani? LitFest 2012: Stories of the Horn of Africa, Dec. 9-16 2012 @ Various Venues

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hori_POSTER
Festival Dates: December 9 -16, 2012
Events Line Up: Public Lectures, Writers in conversation, Readings, Performances, Art Exhibitions, Film Screenings
Venues: various venues – Kifaru Gardens, Kwani? Garden, National Museum, University of Nairobi, Goethe Institut, Kuona Trust, Habesha, Kibera, KICC Helipad, Eastleigh, South B [map below]

Update: All the events scheduled to take place at University of Nairobi have been moved to the National Museum

Kwani Lit Fest Map
Entry to most of the events is Free

Download litfest_programme

Focus: Stories of the Horn of Africa with participating Countries – Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Sudan & Kenya

Some of the writers confirmed for the festival are: Hadraawi – Somalia, Warsan Shire – Somalia, Sayadin Hersi – Somalia, Awes Osman – Somalia, Said Juma Hussein – Somalia, Chehem Watta – Djibouti, Meaza Worku – Ethiopia, Jamal Mahjoub – Sudan, Alemseged Tesfai – Eritrea, Nawal El Saadawi – Egypt, Kojo Laing – Ghana, Helon Habila – Nigeria, Deqa Abshir – Somalia/Kenya, Fawaz El Said – Sudan, Yassir Ali – Sudan, Altayeb Daw Elbeit – Sudan, Ermais Ekube – Ethiopia

A Snap Shot of the Programme
Date: December 9, 2012
Venue: Kifaru Gardens
Time: 2-10 pm
Music by: Waayaha Cusub and Kato& Band
DJ Set by: DJ Zelalem
Entry: Free
Date: December 10, 2012
Venue: Goethe-Institut Nairobi, Monrovia Street
Time: 2.30 – 8 pm
Entry: Free
Date: December 11, 2012
Venue: University of Nairobi National Museum
Time: 2– 7 pm
Entry: Free
Date: December 12, 2012
Venue: Louis Leakey Auditorium, National Museum
Time: 2.30-8 pm
Entry: Free
Date: December 13, 2012
Venues: Hotel Intercontinental, Taifa Hall (University of Nairobi) & Louis Leakey Auditorium, National Museum
Time: 2.30– 7.30 pm
Entry: Free
Date: December 14, 2012
Venues: Louis Leakey Auditorium (National Museum) & Kuona Trust
Free Entry
Date: December 15, 2012
Venues: Louis Leakey Auditorium (National Museum) & KICC Helipad
Entry: Free (National Museum)
Entry: Ksh 1,000 (KICC Helipad)

About
The Kwani? Literary Festival is organised by Kwani Trust on a biennial basis where the literary leaders of Kenya, enriched with visiting writers from around the world, turn their attention to one salient subject and explore it through the lenses of the continent’s past, present and emerging literatures. In 2012, the Litfest will focus on several geopolitical trends and shifts in Kenya’s immediate north to host literary conversations with the Horn of Africa.
It thus aims to act as a platform where the story of the Horn of Africa can be told, to an extent, not taking the political crisis narrative as the only story that exists.
Additionally, the pan-African exchange programme of Goethe-Institut Moving Africa will bring a further eight African writers to Nairobi.

For the exact programme please visit the 2012 Kwani? Litfest website: http://litfest.kwani.org
More information on Moving Africa: http://www.blog.goethe.de/moving-africa/

Screening & Discussion #HRWNairobiFilmFest: Call me Kuchu, Nov 23 2012 @ Alliance

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Date: November 23, 2012
Venue: Alliance Francaise Auditorium
Time: 6.30 pm

Directors: Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, Country – US, 2012, Duration 87 minutes, In English and Luganda with English subtitles

In an office on the outskirts of Kampala, veteran activist David Kato labors to repeal Uganda’s homophobic laws and liberate his fellow lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender men and women, or “kuchus.” But Kato’s formidable task just became more difficult. A new “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” proposes the death penalty for HIV-positive gay men and prison for anyone who fails to turn in a known homosexual. Kato is one of the few who dare to publicly protest the country’s government and media. Working with a dedicated group of fellow activists, he fights for Kampala’s kuchus on Ugandan television, at the United Nations, and in the courts. Because, he insists, “if we keep on hiding, they will say we are not here.”

With unprecedented access, Call Me Kuchu examines the astounding courage and determination required to battle an oppressive government, a vicious media and a powerful church in the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.

Discussants: Pepe Julian Onziema (Sexual Minorities Uganda), Jackson Otieno (GALCK), John “Longjones” Wambere (Spectrum Uganda Initiatives), and Jane Wothaya (Gay Kenya Trust)

Screening & Discussion #HRWNairobiFilmFest: Love Crimes of Kabul, Nov 22 2012 @ Alliance

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Date: November 22, 2012
Venue: Alliance Française Auditorium
Time: 6.30 pm

Love Crimes of Kabul, In Dari & Pashto with English Sub-titles, 71 minutes, Tanaz Eshaghian

Jailed for running away from home to escape abuse, for allegations of adultery, and other “moral crimes,” the women of Afghanistan’s Badum Bagh prison band together to fight for their freedom. Love Crimes of Kabul follows three young prisoners as they go to trial, revealing the pressures and paradoxes women in Afghanistan face today, and the dangerous consequences of refusing to fit into society’s norms. Their defiant actions come to be seen as threats to the very fabric of society, and their acts of self-determination as illegal. Will life outside prison enable these women to experience the freedom they desire?
Filmmaker Tanaz Eshaghian brings us into the lives of these “outsiders,” and we watch as teenage romantics learn to become steely-eyed negotiators in an effort to secure their future, brokering their freedom with courage, charm, and skill.

Discussants: Ann Njogu (CREAW), Dorothy Ogutu (African Sex Worker Network) and Judy Okal (Center for Reproductive Rights)