The Nairobi-based Lola Kenya Screen audiovisual media festival, skill-development mentorship programme and market for children and youth in eastern Africa has on July 12, 2011 released the film line up for the August 8-13, 2011 event. It is held on the theme, “Films for Enjoyment, Learning and Participation in the 21st Century”.In its sixth year, Lola Kenya Screen received more than 300 films from 102 countries from which 150 have been selected following a rigorous viewing selection process by children, youth, mass communication students, journalists, critics and parents. Fewer films shall be programmed than ever before following the introduction of media literacy seminars in 2010 and film discussion at the end of every film in 2011.
The selected films shall be presented in 10 categories, including the 6th Golden Mboni Award for the best children’s film, the 3rd 14-Plus Award for the best youth film, the 5th Kids for Kids Festival Africa, Films by Students, Films by Children for Children, Eastern Africa Prism, World Panorama, and three special focus areas: Documentary, Busan International Kids’ Festival (BIKI, South Korea) and George Washington University’s Documentary Centre (USA) productions.
The battle for the best children’s film is likely to be between Italy and Spain that have two entries each in the 10-film contest that also has three entries from Kenya, and one each from Belgium, Palestine, and USA. Indeed, the hardest contest is likely to be waged over the Golden Mboni Award where Kenya is, for the first time in the 6-year history of the festival, well represented. The United States and Belgium are unlikely to go down. But if they do, the victor will be left with wounds that will take a while to heal.
Spain is again well represented in the 14-Plus Award for the best youth film contest in which Madagascar, Namibia, Kenya and France shall also be hoping to pip the others for the prize. The contest has 10 films.
All the 10 categories have particularly strong films that will keep the audience busy and discussing them over the entire six-day of the festival that shall be held in both the Nairobi City Centre and the densely populated Eastlands residential neigbourhood. Besides film shows, Lola Kenya Screen shall host a two-day roundtable for the independent audiovisual media producers. Motivational speakers drawn from the fledgling audiovisual media sector are also expected to interact with children and youth.

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