The emergence of River wood as a film industry began in the late 90′s. Before this, the sale and distribution of music on audio cassette was big business.
Musicians like (Joseph) Kamaru, Sam Muraya, Queen Jane and (Peter) Kigia were doing booming business and shops like Kassangas, Nduti One Stop and Kigia’s Music Shop were popular retail outlets for music, among many others.
By the beginning of 2000, there were releases of experimental films which were being distributed on video home systems cassettes (VHS). They became very popular, riding on the market established by music cassette and video cassettes.
“River wood has grown to the point where the local film industry has taken notice. It currently employs thousands of people; producers are in the hundreds while artists and middle men seem to make the largest number in the industry. And now with the evolution into digital television a new door has opened for River wood film makers to grow,” says John Karanja who has worked in the Kenyan film industry for the last 19 years.
The head of EFWE Association (entertainment film welfare ensemble) was mentored by television producer Kibwana Onguso and actress Ashina Kibibi of the Tausi soap opera fame in the 1990s.
Members of EFWE specialise in low-budget vernacular films for direct to DVD distribution.
Karanja is also a board member of Riverwood Ensemble which hosts more than 200 Kenyan film producers, and is also the founder of the Riverwood Academy Awards whose third edition is slotted for March 12, 2016.
The move from analogue to digital provided another platform for Riverwood and, “We are doing lots of projects for upcoming television stations,” he says, adding that, “The emergence of niche vernacular stations have created huge business for content creators and producers. With the launch of Inooro TV and soon to follow Kameme TV, the future is bright. We are hoping the major TV stations will start investing on more local content during watershed hours as this will create jobs for the youths and all those interested in film and performing arts.”
Karanja’s production company, Magic Galaxy, has eight television series coming on television before the end of the year.
They include Tumaini, an English television series, Nyumbani a Swahili television series, a continuation of Rosa TV series which successfully ran on KBC and MNET channels, and continuing with new episodes of Poesha, a Swahili TV series running on Star Time Swahili.
“Also as the creator and producer of the television series Waridi which has some episodes airing on Maisha magic east, we are looking to partner with a free to air channel so that we can air the over 100 episodes of new episodes that we have produced. All these projects will start airing from the month of November,” Karanja adds.
When asked if the film industry was in a rut, and if that was the inspiration behind the migration of the industry from film to television productions, he replies, “Although the vernacular River road film DVD distribution is growing every day and television has opened up another door for further growth, I believe the main stream film industry is on comatose, what is working is television that is why this year there are not so many film productions out there as everyone is now switching to television production.”
He advises that being a successful film and television series maker is not just about having content or even a market, but in finding and identifying a model which is able to capitalize on time and space while creating enough room for innovations, renovations and implementation.
“We do have a model that is quickly adaptable with rapid results both on location and in the studio during post production. For films, our model is able to work on a film for maximum of five days on location and 5 days in the studio, currently we are on marathon shoot for 100 vernacular movies which we shall be finishing by June 2016,” he says in closing.
