I can’t remember the last time I was genuinely this excited for the Kalasha Awards. The nominees are out, and the Kenya Film Commission has shared them across its social media platforms, encouraging everyone to take a look, because this is going to be a tight race.
It is ridiculously competitive; honestly, I pity the judges. The quality of work nominated is simply impressive, especially in the TV and People’s Choice categories.
I’ll admit I’m biased, there are films I’m delighted to see nominated, such as Sketchy Africans, S.He Gets Me, Cards on the Table, Family Vacation, Sukari, Boda Love, the kind of films that achieved a lot with very little.
On the TV side, Kash Money, MTV Shuga Mashariki, Subterranea, Big Girl Small World, Single Kiasi, Lazizi, Mo-faya, and Prefects are all there.
The standouts for me, however, were Subterranea, Kash Money, and MTV Shuga Mashariki, for their attempts to nudge the envelope. Also shout out to all the short films.
It’s great to see drama and comedy dominating, but that’s also part of the problem. The list of nominees shows that the culture is still playing it safe.
We continue to shy away from the unconventional. I can point to Subterranea and call it sci-fi, but let’s be honest, it’s still a drama. We don’t yet have hardcore science fiction, driven by special effects.
Kenya has a massive theatre and music culture, so where are the musicals? Where is the horror? Where are the films driven by daring practical effects instead of just dialogue? These questions are not for the judges or the commission, but for the producers, the “gatekeepers”. I believe we have everything that we need in terms of technology to start thinking about opening the door to other genres.
Everyone is obsessed with Nawi right now. The technical execution of Nawi is excellent, and Michelle Lemuya’s performance proves that the young cast is a national treasure. However, the film ultimately feels like a polished but generic “outsider’s” take on African storytelling.
Yes, it’s a good film, beautiful even, but it's overrated and slightly exploitative. I don't think it deserves that number of nominations, but I trust the judges knew exactly what they were doing, and this is not a Nawi review.
So, look past that, and you’ll find Owadwa, a film I’m sure many of you have never heard of, and The Dog, a crime drama (yes, I know we all have a problem with crime and drama) that tried to do something different with the coast. I want to root for The People Shall in the documentary section, but it really doesn’t face much competition.
There are some red flags, though. Most categories have an average of six nominees, but the student documentary section looks thin. The biggest disappointment for me is animation, only three films have been nominated. In a country that always has a solid animation scene running in the background, seeing that category perform so poorly is worrying.
We have a lot to celebrate this year, but it’s clear we still have some homework to do when it comes to variety.
