USIU-Africa shines at Kenya National Drama and Film Festival 2023
By Joyce Wanjiku and Dr. Rachael Diang’a
USIU-Africa Film and Animation students participated and emerged top at the recently concluded Kenya National Drama and Film festival which took place in Mombasa County, Shimo La Tewa and Shanzu Teachers Technical Training College from 20-30, April 2023. Out of the seven submissions by USIU-Africa, the university scooped four awards- three for Animation and one for film.
In the Animation category, Favourite Song by Laura Mukaya won the Best Animation while To the Edge animation work by a group of senior students (Daniel Kihumba, John Mark, Lorna Wanjiku, Martine Nikita, Maryam Lethome, Mutuma Kaunda and Nwachkwu Precious) from the final year project class took the first runners up position.
Five years since the start of the film production and directing program, our students continue to bring home awards from festivals and contests. In this festival, USIU-Africa’s film, ESC (read Escape), emerged top in the short feature film category. This is a film by our recent graduates in the Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing (class of 2022) Margaret Ngigi and Allan Munyao. It delineates how a family navigates through challenges in the face of COVID-19-induced lockdown. Kaa Chonjo is an animated advert on the dangers of conmen, directed by two Bachelor of Arts in Animation seniors: Kyra Mutungi and Fidele Kapungula, won the Best Advert at the festivals.
USIU-Africa’s Film Club has proven its ability to create quality films too. They submitted Mr. and Miss. USIU-Africa documentary, an indication of the Club’s dedication and commitment to excellence. Members of the club gave so much of their time and effort to ensure that every moment of the Mr. and Ms. USIU-Africa 2022 contest was captured and gave even more time to edit the same into a documentary film.
The other submitted films were Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing final year projects: Hex Appeal, a short film directed by Collins Akunga and Super Cognition – a short film directed by Alex Wambugu, both Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and Directing Seniors. Hex Appeal warns the youth on the dangers of blindly traversing the social media world while Stories from the Multiverse highlights the dangers of drug use and dependence among the youth.
