Kenya pledges incentives for Hollywood movie makers

NAIROBI: Kenya is keen to ensure films on Africa are shot here and not in South Africa, the Government has said.

Culture Principal Secretary Joe Okudo said the Government will review every film to establish what incentives could be provided especially to Hollywood film producers who prefer Kenya as their number one location.

Mr Okudo was speaking during a meeting at his Kencom Office where he hosted the producer of award winning flick, The First Grader, Richard Harding and his team.

The filmmaker associated with Sixth Sense Productions is currently hunting for a location to shoot a new film, The Translator, written by Daoud Hari.

The Translator is based on the real life story of an American journalist captured by the Janjaweed in Sudan and taken captive in Chad. The story is also about a native African tribesman who after a raid on his village, repeatedly risks his life to expose the horrific reality of the brutal genocide in Darfur by serving as a translator for an American journalist.

Devoted to liberating his country and its people, Daoud Hari’s account of how one man can make a difference in a world where all hope is lost is suspenseful, harrowing and deeply moving.

“We really want to shoot the film here in Kenya and we hope that the Kenyan government will provide incentives to have the film back here,’ said Mr Harding, who was accompanied to the meeting by Kenyans’ filmmaker Wamboi Kairo.

Okudo said he is embarking on a process that will see the movie shot here.

“It’s work in progress, which is a good thing. Not all is lost,” he said.

South Africa offers unparalleled comparative advantage in tax incentives, which Kenya needs to match to be competitive.

“In South Africa, the Government is offering between 30 and 40 per cent of budgetary subsidy,” explained Harding. A foreign movie being shot in Kenya would come with a huge economic advantage, including job creation, technology transfer, a boost for tourism and foreign exchange. Harding said The First Grader cost him over Sh100 million.

“It wasn’t going to make sense to recreate Kenya in South Africa whilst we had the real Kenya here,” says Harding, who picked Oliver Litondo to star in the flick that went on to earn over a dozen international awards.

The meeting was also attended by Kenya Film Commission Chief Executive Officer Lizzie Chongoti.