TEDxBraeburnSchools, Jun 25 2011 @ Austin Theater

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Saturday, June 25th 2011 at 10:00am (for 10:30) to 12:00pm.
Location: Braeburn School, Gitanga Rd, Austin Theater

Theme: Longevity, technology, accelerated evolution and the future of health

Medical ethicist Harvey Fineberg shows us three paths forward for the ever-evolving human species: to stop evolving completely, to evolve naturally — or to control the next steps of human evolution, using genetic modification, to make ourselves smarter, faster, better. Neo-evolution is within our grasp. What will we do with it?  Harvey Fineberg studies medical decisionmaking — from how we roll out new medical technology, to how we cope with new illnesses and threatened epidemics.

At TEDxPeachtree, bioethicist Paul Root Wolpe describes an astonishing series of recent bio-engineering experiments, from hybrid pets to mice that grow human ears. He asks: isn’t it time to set some ground rules?  Paul Root Wolpe examines the ethical implications of new science — genetic modification, neuroscience and other breakthroughs that stretch our current philosophy to the breaking point. He’s the chief bioethicist at NASA, among other appointments.

Kenyan Movie: Ndoto Za Elibidi, from Jun. 24 2011 @ 20th Century Cinema

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An improbable duo, a British actor turned charity founder and a Kenyan art director, came together and shot a movie on HIV/AIDS. The result was Ndoto za Elibidi (The dreams of the Elibidis) which was presented at the Zanzibar Film Festival last summer, winning the award assigned by the Italian Cinema Africano di Verona. Nick Reding is an actor from the UK with a long background in film television and theatre. In 2002 he founded Sponsored Arts For Education (S.A.F.E.), a charity working with slum dwellers in Nairobi and other locations in Kenya. SAFE works with young Kenyan artists, producing theatre and films, to challenge stigma and discrimination with a message of compassion solidarity and hope. Kamau Wa Ndung’u grew up in Mathare slum in Nairobi. He has worked as an actor and director in theatre for many years. Kamau has been the creative director for SAFE for the last five years. Ndoto za Elibidi is their first film. The story was devised originally as a stage play with actors from the Nairobi slums. The plot pivots around the theme of acceptance and love as the protagonists – parents, four daughters and their lovers – come to terms with HIV and ghetto life. Cutting back and forth from fiction to documentary, from the original stage play to actual locations, the film takes viewers on two parallel journeys: we watch the story, but we are also watching it through the eyes of the ghetto audience. Southworld has met the two film directors in Verona, where they presented their film at the local Festival of African cinema.

“This movie comes from a theatrical opera, says Kamau, after we performed the play in slums, schools or near a health centre, many asked us to have a DVD, they wanted to watch it again and again. We thought to shoot the theatrical performance and put it on a DVD. Then we thought, why not shooting it in a better way. This is how we developed the idea of this movie”. “The cast of the original play was chosen through an open audition in Nairobi, adds Nick. We wanted to look at a series of issues facing the people in the slum. The play was devised over a six months period and has been performed for over five years in the slums. I think there is quite a lot of information in the movie that usually Europeans are not clear with. Actually, many young people in Europe are confused. They believe that drugs are available and there is a cure. Also the treatment of rape victims, another underlying theme in the movie, is important. So there is information there, and Europeans should not get too complacent and believe they know it all”.

Ndoto Za Elibidi Trailer

Slum Film Festival – Poster and Logo Contest, May 30 – Jun. 21 2011

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Slum Film Festival is a joint project of Embassy of Spain in Kenya, AECID (Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development), Slum TV and Hot Sun Foundation, with the collaboration of the Nairobi Art Centre.

THE CONTEST is open to young people between the ages of 18-30 years with an interest in art and filmmaking. Artists from informal settlements (slums) are encouraged to enter. Professional artist (artists who have e…xhibited their works commercially), including those based in slums, are not eligible.

03/ CATEGORIES
1. Slum Film Festival LOGO. These are going to be digital submissions, designed using any computer design software. The final submission must be saved as JPG, less than 500MB in size and emailed to mercy@hotsunfoundation.org or info@slum-tv.org by the deadlines below. Please add the following title in your submission e-mail: “Slum Film Festival LOGO”.

2. Slum Film Festival POSTER. These submissions should be hard copy (paintings, drawings, sketches, etc) and should be dropped at either: Hot Sun Foundation offices in Kibera, Slum TV offices in Mathare or the Embassy of Spain at CBA Building in UpperHill by the deadlines below.

04/ COPYRIGHT
The COPYRIGHT of each submitted POSTER and LOGO artworks belong to its author. Upon entering the contest, the selected and awarded designers cede the exhibition, publication and copy rights of the pieces to Slum Film Festival and they grant Slum Film Festival the rights to modify, use as is, the winning artworks. The copyright of the winning Artworks will belong to Slum Film Festival and will be considered ‘work for hire’.

05/ PRIZES
LOGO: 1-month Graphic Design class at Kibera Film School. POSTER: 1-month Painting / drawing classes at the Nairobi Art Centre.

06/ KEY DATES
Opening date for entries: 30th May 2011

Closing date for entries: 21st June 2011

Announcement of finalists: 7th July 2011

Awards ceremony and Launch of the Festival (together with press conference): 29th July 2011 at the Embassy of Spain

Film Festival Celebration: 8th – 21st August 2011

07/ HOW TO SIGN UP
– Collect application forms at Hot Sun Foundation, Slum TV offices or at the Embassy of Spain.

– All participants must fill in an application form with their personal information and specify the category in which they want to compete. Only one proposal will be accepted for each category (individually or collectively).

– Participants must submit the a brief explanatory text of the piece (300 words max.)

– Submitted materials must be originals and cannot have been published anywhere prior to the announcement of the contest results.

– Any action taken by a participant violating these conditions will result in immediate disqualification.

– Assessment criteria: The design should meet the vision of Slum Film Festival.

– This contest is open to artists whose works have not been exhibited commercially.

– The artwork submitted must not be offensive in any way.

08/ ORGANIZERS
Slum Film Festival is a joint project of Embassy of Spain in Kenya, AECID (Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development), Slum TV and Hot Sun Foundation, with the collaboration of the Nairobi Art Centre.

PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST IMPLIES THE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE RULES IN FULL.

Screenings/Movies: Tom Tykwer Film Series, Jun. 7-30 2011 @ Goethe

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Dates: June 7-30, 2011 (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Venue: Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Time: 6.00 pm
Goethe-Institut Auditorium
Entry: Free

Tom Tykwer was born in 1965 in Wuppertal/Germany. Fascinated by film from an early age, he started making amateur Super-8 films at the age of eleven. After graduating from high school, he moved to Berlin where he started working in the film business. Following the production of two short films, his first full-length feature film Deadly Maria was released in 1993. Many successful movies such as Run Lola Run, The Perfume and The International established Tykwer as one of the most exciting writer-director-composers in European cinema. His current film project is Cloud Atlas, starring Tom Hanks.

Tom Tykwer also co-founded the non-profit organization One Fine Day e.V. which promotes and supports artistic education of youths in developing countries. In this framework Tom Tykwer helped to produce the low-budget film Soul Boy, a FilmAfrika! Project directed by Hawa Essuman which was almost entirely shot in Kibera/Nairobi.

Download Film Series Screenings

CinemAlliance: Hope in Lake Turkana, Jun. 6 2011 @ Alliance

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CinemAlliance will in the month of June highlight environmental challenges through film-discussions and presentations in association with Pamoja Film Initiative, Dunia Moja Trust, the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD) and the Kenya Wetlands Biodiverstiy Research Group (KENWEB).

The documentaries look at the effects of climate change in Kenya.

Date: June 6, 2011
Time : 6pm
Venue: Alliance Française Auditorium
Entrance Free

June 6, 2011
Hope in Lake Turkana and two shorts on urban waste management in Nairobi and Nakuru, Practical Action documentaries