Discovery Channel thrills producers and filmmakers as the “Inside Story” is screened on first day of the Broadcast Film and Music Africa (BFMA)

Wheels Media- at Oshwal centre, Westlands-Nairobi Kenya

Discovery Channel thrills producers and filmmakers as the “Inside Story” is screened on first day of the Broadcast Film and Music Africa (BFMA)

10th July 2012- Over 500 film makers, stars, media managers, music producers and digital content developers held back tears  even as  their throats filled with a gush of pain and compassion after the Discove ry Channel screened a new African starred film “Inside Story”. The film which tells the story of a talented Kenyan boy with a dream to play international filled up the audience with mixed emotions as it captured Kalu’s struggles to win both a battle with the virus and that of a twisted football career.

Bruce Rabinowitz of Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, based in USA, told the star studded conference that this was the first screening of the film in an African country outside South Africa and was the film’s introduction to African broadcasters.

Earlier, Kenyan Film Commission CEO, Peter Mutie had joined experts from across the globe, including Envir Fraser, the head of Research, regulatory and Policy at South African  Convergence partners, Belgium based Dr Ann Overbergh, Gregory Olumuya Odutayo of Nigeria’s Royal Roots Communications in an exciting opening session that decried importance of ‘film cities’ and quality production houses across Africa.

Tomorrow is expected to have electrifying presentations as another sizzling and new film is lined up for screening.  “We will be screening tomorrow our new film ‘Hospital’, which chronicles the lives of four pregnant women as they face the dangers of village child birth in Ghana. It is like nothing you have seen, it will change how we perceive African film,” said Producer Abiel Keli from Ghana.

Most of the presentation by local media houses scheduled for tomorrow will revolve around the changing business models for TV broadcasting and the digital transitions.  Among high profile media and film personalities from Kenya expected tomorrow include Catherine Kasavuli, the Corporate Affairs Manager at Citizen TV who will moderate a session on the impact of new satellite technologies on broadcasting; international award winning film maker Wanuri Kahiu and Nation Media Broadcasting CEO, Ian Fernandes.

The highlight at tomorrow’s event will be an animated  discussion on the impact of mobile on broadcasting, the relevance of the mobile platform to film and the emerging giant of online music distribution including Spinlet (referred variously as Africa’s iTunes) which is fast spreading its tentacles across the Africa.

Presenters tomorrow will include Steve Rich, Regional Head of Africa, NewSat Australia, Joel Rao of inMobi-described as Africa’s largest mobile advertising concern and Joe Otin-Research and Monitoring Director, Ipsos Synovate.
Other highly looked forward to presentations will be by Eric Idiahi, CEO of Spinlet in USA and Nigeria, and Nicole Klassen , of Bozza from South Africa. Michael Dearham, senior vice president in charge of English based program and film business at Cote Ouest is also expected to present on an overall analysis of production levels, innovations, budgets and financing ecology in Africa’s audio visual market.

Tomorrow also will the the d-day for capital seeking entrepreneurs and firms in films as the Africa Media business exchange opens. The entrepreneurs will picth their business plans and ideas to 8 respected venture capitalists who will be seeking to invest between USD10, 000 and USD 100,000 in sustainable local film, broadcast and music businesses.

Japan based Sony will continue with its training for film makers tomorrow at the conference on advanced Camera settings. Other master classes and workshops tomorrow include one on acoustic fundalmentals and how to use acoustic products, and another on remodeling broadcasting facilities.

Attendance is open to media and professionals in film, broadcasting and music.