October 30, 2019                                      By Cheruiyot Korir

The government is keen on growing the film industry in the county by tapping into bigger and advanced international markets, Information Communications and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary (CS) Joe Mucheru has said.

Speaking on Monday, October 28, 2019 when he inaugurated the new board of directors for the Kenya Film Commission, Mucheru said that the government has reached an agreement with China film producers to do co-production alongside the co-production that is already underway with India.

“We have brought the Chinese film week after the India film week which happened earlier this year, these two markets alone are close to three billion people that want to watch our film,” said Mucheru.

The CS said that film is an integral part of everything that we do as a country and it will be used to preserve our culture and ensure that we create the many jobs that the youth need by taking advantage of film tourism.

Mucheru said that in the next one year it is projected that over five major films will be shot in Kenya. He said, this will be achieved through responsive policies that attract big movie producers into the country facilitated by the new board which has representation of people with experience in the different areas of government, media sector and the film sector.

“We are glad that the board has accepted to take up the challenge that they have been given to create jobs for the youth by attracting a lot of film producers,” said Mucheru.

The CS said that the government is looking at ways of expanding the use of film in the country. He said already there are 800 digital villages which have expressed interest showing films adding that  plans are underway to have 47 different film outdoor centers in the country one per county.

“We will soon be seeing the ‘Elephant Queen’ a film which was done over eight years ago here in Kenya in the Tsavo and it covered the elephants; we hope that every Kenyan will be able to see the film and the Kenyan Film Commission will ensure that we provide the facilities to enable everyone watch the film by early next year,” said Mucheru.

The new board includes Dorothy Ghettuba – Chairperson, Timothy Owase – CEO, Ernest Kerich, Sarah Migwi, Eunice Wangeci Macharia, Asif Karim and Gideon Ole Moses Saruni.