AFRICA’S LITERARY GIANT WOLE SOYINKA FOR KIFF

Re-known African literature expert, film writer, poet andplay write Professor Wole Soyinka is set to grace this year’s KenyaInternational Film Festivals that will take place between October 21 -31, 2011.

Wole will be joined by Idrissa Ouedraogo, a well-known filmdirector from Burkina Faso as jury member at KIFF 2011. Ouedraogo is a graduateof the African Institute for Cinema Studies (Institut Africain d’EtudesCinématographiques) in Ouagadougou and has directed various short films.Ouédraogo also graduate school at the Institut des Hautes EtudesCinématographiques IDHEC in Paris in 1985.

Ouédraogo is also known for winning the Grand Prixfor his film Tilaï(The Law) at the 1990l Cannes Film Festival, and the FIPRESCI Award for his1986 film Yam Daabo(The Choice). His 1993 film Samba Traoré won the Silver Bear at the 43rd BerlinInternational Film Festival.  

Prof. Soyinka, who was awarded the Nobel Prize forLiterature in 1986, has written 21 plays, 2 novels, 5 memoirs, 10 poetrycollections, 6 essays and 3 movies. His visit to Kenya has been made possibleby the Nigerian Film and Video Censorship Board. The literary giant will alsobe accompanied by several Nigerian film producers who submitted their films forviewing at the KIFF. 

In keeping with KIFF’s tradition, Prof. Soyinka is expectedalso facilitate a forum for literature scholars in Nairobi. During the forumfilm dons, film makers and lecturers will interact and with the insight ofProf. Soyinka forge the way forward on film syllabus and curriculum in Kenyanuniversities and colleges.   

Festival director Mr. Charles Asiba said: “We are delightedto have a personality of the stature of Prof. Wole Soyinka, who is anauthoritative figure in the African film industry to come and grace us with hispresence. We are also excited with the fact that KIFF is going to be used asplatform for Prof. Soyinka   to educate the young literature scholarsin Kenya”.  

Asiba said the screenings will be at, Alliance Francaise deNairobi, National Museums of Kenya, Cinemax Prestige on Ngong Road, Fort Jesusin Mombasa, Alliance France in Mombasa, Moi University main Campus, MasenoUniversity town campus, Kisumu Simba Club, Alliance Francaise de Eldoret.

Mr. Asiba said the preparations for the 2011 Festival are atan advanced stage adding that “we are happy by the response of the film makerswhen we called for entries what we now want from Kenyans to do is to come andwatch a movie with us so that the ambition of being the biggest film festivalin Africa.”