Two representatives from the Kenya Film Commission visited Johannesburg and Cape Town recently on a fact finding mission at the invitation of Martin Cuff Consulting. Cuff is well known to the South African film industry having formerly worked at both the Cape Film Commission (CFC) and the Sithengi Film & TV Market.

During their visit Kenya Film Commission MD David Maingi and Head of Communications Nyatichi Sitati visited the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), Gauteng Film Office (GFO), CFC, Commercial Producers Association (CPA), Stills Producers Association, Sasani Studios and Video Lab.

"This was a familiarisation trip," Maingi told Screen Africa. "Our purpose was two-pronged; we have a number of projects that we are working on and wanted to investigate the possibility of working with a consultant. Secondly, we wanted to benchmark ourselves against South African best practice in terms of lobbying government and creating the right business environment for film.

"The Kenya Film Commission has been operational since May 2006. Prior to that we had a film board which the government chose to dissolve. When the Commission was set up, the government did not want to have a film producer at the helm so as to avoid the issue of vested interests. I'm from a marketing and advertising background, while yatichi Sitati was previously in radio and TV."

The functions of the Commis¬sion are marketing Kenya as a location for both local and inter¬national productions and also to facilitate the local production infrastructure. Other functions are to look at industry partner¬ships, to facilitate training and capacity building and to advise government on all issues of film in its widest context.

Although Kenya has only a fledgling indigenous industry at this stage, it has been the location for some high profile international productions such as The Constant Gardener and the Oscar winners Nowhere in Africa and Out of Africa. It was also the location for Survivor 3: Africa and Tomb Raiders.

"The problem with our industry at the moment is that it is fragmented, with everyone wanting to oudo each other," commented Sitati. Maingi added: "At this stage our industry is still nascent and our infrastructure rudimentary. The formalisation of the industry requires a framework and a distribution network.

We don't have this yet as there is little investment in the industry because the benefits of investing in the industry are not yet apparent. Film is regarded as an art format so people think it should be free. That is why the Commission was formed - to educate the policy makers. We're currently in discussions with the government regarding the possibility of financial incentives for the industry."

Kenya has been in the news recently because of the political unrest that erupted on 30 December 2007 after the general election. The BBC series Calais Rules has postponed its Kenyan shoot as a result. Meanwhile, wildlife series such as Wild Cuts and Raw Nature continue to shoot in Kenya.

"The recent political unrest has of course damaged the country's reputation but we're assuring any filmmakers wanting to enter Kenya that they will be safeguarded," commented Sitati.

Maingi added: "The conflict has opened up opportunities for Kenya to address and build its nationhood. Before I left for South Africa a lot of local filmmakers were wanting to show different sides of the strife. This led to questions such as 'What makes a Kenyan film what it is?'" G