Kesho Imefika Opening

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

by with No Comment Documentariesfestivalfree music

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

by with No Comment DocumentarieseventsfestivalmoviesMusicaltheater & performances

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.

nairobi-half-life

Film Screening: Nairobi Half Life, Jan. 26 2013 @ Nairobi National Museum

by with No Comment movies

nairobi-half-life

The Kenya Museum Society invites you to Nairobi Half Life, Film Screening (1st time at the Nairobi National Museum)

This is the story of a young man in pursuit of his dream of becoming an actor. He makes his way to Nairobi the city of opportunity and quickly understands why Nairobi is nicknamed Nairrobery as he is robbed of all his money and belongings and left alone in a city where he doesn’t know a soul.
He is drawn into a world of crime where he comes face to face with the city’s criminals… His determination is encouraging and a true testament that what stands between us and our goals is us.

www.nairobihalflife-film.org

Winner of Kalasha Awards
Breakthrough Audience Award at AFI Fest 2012 & Film Africa 2012 Audience Award

When: Saturday, 26 January, 2013
Where: Louis Leakey Auditorium, Nairobi National Museum,

Refreshments 1.15 pm, Doors open 2.00 pm.
Donations:
Ksh 400 Members
Ksh 500 Non-members
Ksh 200 Citizen & Student rate

Reservations: 0724 255 299, 2339158 or info@kenyamuseumsociety.org
M-Pesa no: 400800, Account no: 6571570019

Sauti za Busara

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

by with 2 Comments concertsDocumentariesfestivalmoviesscreenings

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

by with 2 Comments art exhibitsbooksdebateDocumentarieseventsfestivallectures & readingsmoviespartiesPoetryProse Readingscreeningstheater & performancesWorkshop

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/

homages extra

Screenings: Homages Extra – Keith Oleng, Dec. 7 2012 @ Goethe

by with 2 Comments moviesscreenings

homages extra
Date: December 7, 2012
Venue: Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Time: 6 pm
Entry: free

About
Keith Oleng studied Theatre Arts at the Kakamega High School, Mass Communication at the Central TAFE College in Australia, and specialised in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy.

His nurturing as an artist started while he was in high school. Being a member in the theatre arts club, he became chairman in his final year. It was in this environment that he first learned about directing a production.
Keith founded a communication firm in 2008 while still in Film School in New York. It is called Africa Is A Planet, and deals mainly in Audio-Visual production, Creative Event Organisation and Internet Solutions.

Keith makes works that push the form of media, with a goal of developing an African inspired culture. The major themes of his work are beauty and exploration.

In this retrospective, Keith is going to present his short films, and will launch his latest work Love, Taken to a Mysterious Place.

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

by with No Comment debateDocumentarieseventsfestivalmovies


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)