Bait – The 48 hour project Nairobi, Best Film 2015
Last year saw the annual 48 hour project Nairobi and the newly instituted Machakosfest, Machakos County’s version of Tropfest provide platforms for local film makers to show case their skills.
With generous cash and gift prizes these competitions attracted a variety of entrants creating a space for a host of intriguing stories, revealing a coming of age of our film sector.
Indulge Me – Machakosfest 1st place entry 2015
Many of the entries also showcased an understanding of story telling and technical capabilities.
Development of local content has often suffered against cheap imports under the mindset that audiences prefer internationally produced programs and local producers cannot create high quality content.
But models such as the 48 hour project reveal that high quality good stories can be produced with low budgets and under tight timelines.
Compliments must be given to both organisers for successfully running both competitions. Looking for sponsors, organising and running such events is not easy. Potential sponsors too need to partner to ensure sustainability and increase the motivation factors so that more film makers can have the opportunity to show case their work.
Broadcasters and content users also have a platform to capture new talent in a bid to strengthen their local content repertoire.
When then name Hollywood was coined, it’s creators would have never anticipated that it would capture the imagination of the world to the point of being adopted as the ‘S.I unit'(International Systems of Units) for describing film making.
Bollywood, Nollywood, Machawood, Riverwood and now Wakaliwood form part of the growing list of established and emerging film making markets that attach the words “wood” in association to the original even when some like Bollywood supersede their western counterparts with regards to films made per year.
Wakaliwood is Uganda’s answer to the screen void that exists in telling of African stories.
Several thoughts went through my mind after viewing the journalist’s reaction to the trailer as well as understanding the producers and their challenges through a well cut piece presented by VICE Tv.
Where there is a will, there is a way
Even in the midst of financial challenges, lack of formal training, complex equipment huddles and what look like distribution nightmares, the films are made fuelled by passion.
The impressive equipment and prop fabrication, martial arts choreography, fun computer generated graphics are very impressive.
Evidence of an understanding of story telling and more importantly knowing what the market wants to see, shows great potential in the midst of low quality output and other technical short comings. The fact that one of the films received funding through a kick starter style campaign is also inspiring.
With so many obstacles it is quite an achievement that full length films are actually completed and an encouragement to film makers blessed with more opportunities to stop with the excuses and “Just do it”
Exploitation film making – Déjà vu
With a very high level of violence and gore, the Wakaliwood films look very much like exploitation movies shown during the Grindhouse era.
These movies which exploited niche themes such as sex, violence, nudity, drugs, gore and others, sensationalised them to attract audiences interested in an alternative viewing experience.
The films show explicit blown off limbs, decapitated heads and blood combined with fast paced action. These may be life experiences from the story tellers and also demanded by the target audience but with lack of classifications/film ratings they may pose a problem.
Easy accessibility and exposure of the material to children, whether as intended or un-intended target audience, creates irresponsible film making taking away from the innovation that the industry is trying to build. Being an emerging market is no excuse.
Interesting Reactions
Film making even for established, cash-laden producers and directors is a daunting task.
The amount of work involved, writing, re-writing, casting, rehearsing, blocking, filming, directing, editing and distributing is extremely hard as an established film maker, let alone one fuelled literally solely by drive and passion.
A new level of respect, support and appreciation for these and more local ‘woods’ need to be provided to ensure that indigenous stories that haven’t been seen or heard are told.
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