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Are you a film maker? Well, you stand a chance of walking away with a cool Sh1 million if you enter the Machakos Entertainment Centre for Film, Media, Music and the Arts (Machawood) short film festival competition. Dubbed Machawood Film Festival, it is the latest and most lucrative venture the local film industry is experiencing.
Over the weekend, Machawood, the region’s new entertainment hub, kicked off the initiative in which the winning film maker will get Sh1 million besides enjoying free training on film making. The second best piece will get Sh500,000 while third and fourth will get Ksh250,000 and Ksh100,000 respectively.
Interested participants are expected to submit a maximum of two pieces, each seven minutes long, online. The scenes featured in the film pieces must have at least one location highlighting Machakos County and the music used in the film must be original or should have the written permission of the musician or producer. All submissions should be in by November 15.
The winners will be crowned during a film gala to be held at the Machakos People’s Park amphitheater in December.
“The festival will be an annual affair that will also involve film makers from all over the continent. It will be featured in the global film festivals circuit as one of the international festivals,” a statement issued by the Machawood Board read in part.
“The film can be in any Kenyan language but should clearly indicate what genre it falls under. Ten films will be shortlisted for screening and the top ones will be made available on local TV stations for airing,” the statement added.
The MachakosFest is premised on the successful Australian Tropfest, which has become a global phenomenon.
