Re-known African literature expert, film writer, poet and
play write Professor Wole Soyinka is set to grace this year’s Kenya
International Film Festivals that will take place between October 21 -31, 2011.
Wole will be joined by Idrissa Ouedraogo, a well-known film
director from Burkina Faso as jury member at KIFF 2011. Ouedraogo is a graduate
of the African Institute for Cinema Studies (Institut Africain d’Etudes
Cinématographiques) in Ouagadougou and has directed various short films.
Ouédraogo also graduate school at the Institut des Hautes Etudes
Cinématographiques IDHEC in Paris in 1985.
Ouédraogo is also known for winning the Grand Prix
for his film Tilaï
(The Law) at the 1990l Cannes Film Festival, and the FIPRESCI Award for his
1986 film Yam Daabo
(The Choice). His 1993 film Samba Traoré won the Silver Bear at the 43rd Berlin
International Film Festival.
Prof. Soyinka, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1986, has written 21 plays, 2 novels, 5 memoirs, 10 poetry
collections, 6 essays and 3 movies. His visit to Kenya has been made possible
by the Nigerian Film and Video Censorship Board. The literary giant will also
be accompanied by several Nigerian film producers who submitted their films for
viewing at the KIFF.
In keeping with KIFF’s tradition, Prof. Soyinka is expected
also facilitate a forum for literature scholars in Nairobi. During the forum
film dons, film makers and lecturers will interact and with the insight of
Prof. Soyinka forge the way forward on film syllabus and curriculum in Kenyan
universities and colleges.
Festival director Mr. Charles Asiba said: “We are delighted
to have a personality of the stature of Prof. Wole Soyinka, who is an
authoritative figure in the African film industry to come and grace us with his
presence. We are also excited with the fact that KIFF is going to be used as
platform for Prof. Soyinka to educate the young literature scholars
in Kenya”.
Asiba said the screenings will be at, Alliance Francaise de
Nairobi, National Museums of Kenya, Cinemax Prestige on Ngong Road, Fort Jesus
in Mombasa, Alliance France in Mombasa, Moi University main Campus, Maseno
University town campus, Kisumu Simba Club, Alliance Francaise de Eldoret.
Mr. Asiba said the preparations for the 2011 Festival are at
an advanced stage adding that “we are happy by the response of the film makers
when we called for entries what we now want from Kenyans to do is to come and
watch a movie with us so that the ambition of being the biggest film festival
in Africa.”
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