The 11th edition of the annual FilmAid Festival came to an end last Friday at the Tribe Hotel, Nairobi. This followed a three-week screening event that saw FilmAid Media trainees from Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camp showcase their films and tell their untold stories from the camp. The students were also engaged in panel discussions with various stakeholders in the film industry and humanitarian organizations.
Speaking during the gala, FilmAid Executive Director said, “We were thrilled with the submissions we got this year, the numbers improved significantly and this shows our commitment and vision of informing, inspiring and empowering refugees and marginalized populations are bearing fruit”.
This year’s theme for the festival was “My story. My voice. Your move.” a non-confrontational demand for dialogue, and is a self-confident assertion that refugee voices be included in any dialogue about their lives and their future. The theme also captures the dynamism, determination and ‘swag’ of FilmAid’s remarkable Media Training Class of 2018.
Some of the winners from this year’s festival include-
Best Actor
Ali Farah Mohamud – The Discriminator
Best Actress
Jackline Ikuju – Why Me
Best Student Fiction Film
Why Me
Best Student Non-Fiction Film
The Other Dadaab
Best Sound
Aden Abdullahi Abdi – The Other Dadaab
Best Script
Gang Nyabuol Biel – Defying all Odds
Best Cinematography
Maryan Dahir Adawe – Defying All Odds
Best Editing
Makol Beer- Struggle for Family
Best Director
Rey Egide Bulambo – Why ME
Best International Fiction Film
Are You Volleyball;
Best International Non- Fiction Film
You Can’t Hide From the Truth
Best International Emerging Film Maker
Amina Rwimo – It has Killed My mother
In attendance included Keefe Maureen –FilmAid International Executive Director, Stella Suge – FilmAid Kenya Country Director, Raouf Mazou – Representative of the United Nations Refugee Agency in Kenya, celebrated artiste – Wyre, Dana Hughes –Regional Spokesperson and Communications Office UNHCR among other dignitaries.
This year’s festival had 1,500 submissions, out of which 15 were selected for screening at the camps and in Nairobi. The winners walked away with laptops and camera’s as motivation to continue speaking and coming up with great untold stories about Kakuma and Dadaab respectively.
