PR FIRM IN KSH5 MILLION SPONSORSHIP OF THE KENYA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Kenya International Film Festivals is set to benefit from a five million shilling sponsorship from leading PR firm Hill+Knowlton Strategies.

According to the sponsorship package, Hill+Knowlton will be the official communications firm for the 2012 Kenya International Film Festivals and will coordinate all Public Relations, Media Relations and event management activities for KIFF.

The annual Kenya International Film Festival which is organized by the independent and privately ran Kenya International Film Festival Trust. The Trust also organizes training workshops for film makers, from across the continent.

In response to the sponsorship package, festival Director Charles Asiba said: “This year’s festival arrangements are afoot and it will take place between 24th of October and the 3rd of November 2012. I would like to thank Hill+Knowlton Strategie for their generous offer and I would like to call on fimmakers to submit their entries.”

Speaking during the signing of the agreement Hill+Knowlton Strategies Managing Director Alexander Doll said “We are very proud to be associated with the Kenya International Film Festival. As communicators, we see film as an integral part of the channel mix that we can use to pass on messages. We hope that through this sponsorship, we will be able to spread the Festival message far and wide, help grow the industry, encourage filmmakers to showcase their work and take film making seriously”.

He noted that film making was a vibrant economic activity in developed economies of the US, Europe, India and China providing employment opportunities for millions of and he did not see why film makers in Kenya cannot be encouraged to pursue their goals.

This year’s film festivals focuses on ‘world classics’, and will be an opportunity to celebrate the world classic films as well as reminisce where the industry has come from to where it is today, said Mr. Asiba adding that, “This, however, does not change the tradition and mandate of the Kenya International Film Festivals. We are still going to showcase new films and expose the new and upcoming film makers in the country”.

Mr Asiba also encouraged filmmakers to be bold and send in their films and also attend the screening. “It will be a great opportunity to for upcoming film makers to network with the well-established film makers from all over the world.” He said.

The KIFF trust has already received 200 films from film makers from all over the word. Last year, the festivals received over 600 films and screened 365 films over the ten day period.