The Kenya Film Commission is officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to set up an OSCARS Selection Committee from Industry Associations & Guilds to make submissions for the Best International Feature Film Award on behalf of the Kenyan filmmakers.
Other than the Best International Feature Film, the Committee can also submit a Documentary and Animation to compete for Best Documentary and Best Animation Feature Awards.
Annually, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (The Oscars) invites countries to submit an official entry of what the individual countries consider as their Best Film Projects. Only one (1) film is accepted from each Country. Given this important rule and regulation, the committee’s task is therefore to make a Call for Submissions from Kenyan Filmmakers and thereafter View and Select a film project – be it a Feature Film, Documentary or Animation – that meets the set-out Academy rules and regulations and Submit the same to the Academy.
To submit for the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film Category Click Here
To access the Frequently Asked Questions, Click Here
OSCARS SELECTION COMMITTEE KENYA
KRYSTEEN SAVANE: Chairperson
Krysteen Savane is a Kenyan Creative Film Producer and Actress. She has worked on both stage and screen for several years and has starred in various shows on local TV stations in Kenya. Krysteen starred in multiple critically acclaimed films including Soul Boy, Ndoto Za Elibidi, Ni Sisi and most recently on the Netflix series, Sense 8.
She produced the award-winning film Ni Sisi for SAFE Kenya, and worked as an Associate Producer for Watatu. She also co-directed the short film Malika.
Krysteen worked as a Production manager on Watu Wote (All of Us) which won Best Short Film at the Student Oscar Awards 2017, and was nominated for Best Live Action short film, in the 2018 Academy Awards.
Between 2004 and 2015 Krysteen worked as a Producer, Production Manager and Actress for the Kenyan NGO SAFE Kenya that uses street theatre to educate and inspire social change.
She is currently the director of Anno’s One Fine Day, a creative arts programme where we nurture children and teenagers to use Visual arts, Drama, Music, Ballet, African dance, Acrobatic and Creative writing to explore and develop their artistic abilities.
IMDB – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3775450/
ALAMIN VIRANI ELCHIE: Secretary
Alamin Virani Elchie is an eclectic Kenyan Filmmaker, Actor and Audio Producer with vast experience in documentary film-making and audio productions ranging from music, radio, Internet content, TV and Film. Some of his most notable works include helping Dutch Documentary Filmmaker Fleur Van Dissel produce several documentaries in Kenya.; a conservation film titled The Water Towers – a story about the efforts to save the Mau forest; and films showing the political process behind the struggle to achieve and implement the new constitution in Kenya.
He produced the ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) for award-winning Danish-Kenyan Film Lost In Africa (Danish title Kidnappet) by Danish Filmmaker Vibeke Muasya.
Alamin acted in 2015 Riverwood Best Film award winner Strata.
Most recently, he worked on the popular TV Music Show Coke Studio 2019 and Produced His Highness the Agakhan 2018 Diamond Jubilee Documentary for Kenya visit 2018.
Alamin was a part of the Production team for Auma Obama’s Sauti Kuu Foundation Documentary from 2017. He also produced internal Documentary for UNEA 3 forum at UNEP Nairobi in the same year.
Alamin produced a web documentary series Who I Am Who We Are Kenya, an arts project about Kenya’s nationhood by artists Wambui Kamiru Collymore.
He is the current Treasurer of the Kenya Actors Guild and a Board Member of The Creative Society of Kenya.
FATMA WANDIA
Fatma Wandia is a Line Producer with over 15 years’ experience across Africa and the Netherlands working on a wide range of projects, from documentaries, films, reality shows and TV commercials.
Fatma has had a hand in some of Kenya’s biggest productions from Sense 8 to Tusker Project Fame, Nike, and East Africa’s Got Talent.
She is currently the Treasurer of the Producers Guild.
SERAH MWIHAKI
Serah Mwihaki is the multiple award-winning Writer of Nairobi Half Life which was not only Kenya’s entry to the Oscars but was shown in more than 100 theatres in the US and around the world. The film has been touted as the most successful film in Kenya.
Through a career spanning nearly two decades, Serah has created and written nearly 70 episodes of the highly acclaimed drama series Changes and nearly 600 episodes of telenovelas – Kona and Selina.
With her company Wordypix Company Limited, she wrote and produced Kidnapped, an award-winning film on the correlation between domestic abuse and mental issues.
She has written several TV movies for Africa Magic. Serah Mwihaki is currently writing an anthology film with an American Company.
JOY ALUNGA
Joy is a borne creative innovator, carefully tailoring design solutions to suit innovative businesses!As a graphic designer, she has over 7 years of experience designing everything from corporate identities, 3d montages, and websites for various corporates and individuals alike. She has been fortunate to work with top brands including DoubleTree by Hilton and Brand Kenya. Currently she is working with a Pan-African company Kugali that has been the first African company to partner with Disney on the Iwaju project and she is one of the Visual Development Artist from Kenya.
Her skills include 3D and 2D Animation, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, adobe illustrator, Adobe AfterEffects, Adobe Premierpro, Maya, HTML 5. In her constant pursuit of excellence, she continues to play her part in enriching the creative industry by teaching part-time at Nairobi Institute of Technology and holding office with the Association of Animation Artists Kenya.
When she’s not designing or working on corporate brands, you can find her drawing or in the midst of huge masses of canvas on painting dates with close friends,riding her bike or managing her jewelry business.
WYCLIFFE BUHERE TSINJE
Wycliffe Buhere Tsinje holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Design 1993 (UoN), Postgraduate Film Production and Directing 1996 (KIMC) and is currently working on Masters project on Theatre Arts and Film Technology (KU).
Buhere is currently a Principal Film Lecturer training at Kenya Institute of Mass Communication where he doubles as an Industrial Liaison Officer. He is the organizing Secretary of Association of Film Producing Educational Institutions – Kenya that is a trustee of Ministry of Education – Kenya.
Buhere is a prolific screen actor, TV content developer and presenter. He has overseen productions of over 300 Documentaries and Feature Films, both as Film trainer and consultant.
He is in charge as Regional Chairman for Nairobi Tertiary Educational Institutions on matters of Film Producing and Theatre Arts.
PATRICIA MATAGA
Patricia Mataga is currently serving as a Programs and Operations Manager at Writers Guild-Kenya. Prior to this, Patricia served as the Social Media Manager in the same Organization. In her role, she oversees the Coordination of Programs and Operations with a view to growing Writers in Kenya and encouraging general reading in our families.
To this end, she has overseen the publication of 12 first time-authors and the creation of three Writing Programs currently operational at Writers Guild-Kenya. The Programs have cumulatively graduated 76 writers who are actively writing in different platforms. Patricia is passionate about Management, Marketing and generally watching ideas grow under her guidance.
Patricia has also worked in other capacities in both South Africa and Kenya. In South Africa, she worked with, Ecomm Accountants as an Immigration Administrator and Receipt Bank Specialty. She has also worked with Receipt Bank and Xero (Europe) and Africa Talent Bank as a Writer and a Brand Ambassador.
Patricia’s vision is to support the aspirations of Writers Guild-Kenya to ensure that the general reading culture and writing culture in Kenya is cherished. Patricia believes that if our story is not captured in books (or other forms), then we are robbing the future generations of their inheritance.
MWENDWA MUTUA
Mwendwa Mutua is an award-winning Film Director, Writer, Mentor and TV and Film Content Producer who began his career with a flair for Stage Acting and Directing. Fueled by his passion for understanding the nuances for film in Kenya’s cross-cultural divide, he later set about a career in Film.
Mwendwa opened a TV and Film Production Company called Artskills Films in 2013. It is an entirely successful venture. He has eight thrilling years of being in the film industry winning Best Director in a Film – Tamed – in 2014.
He has produced and directed many celebrated TV shows and films; most recently, his directing can be viewed on Chiriku, the first ever Christian TV Drama Series in Kenya. Additionally, he has gained recognition in advertisement creation, nominated in the Best Advert Category in Kalasha 2019 for two Adverts Ibusiness and Smart Kodi.
Also, as the Treasurer of Riverwood Ensemble Filmmakers Association, he has been able to polish his Film Festival organization and association management skills with the yearly planning of the Riverwood Academy Awards.
EMILY WANJA
Emily Wanja is an award-winning Impact Producer, running the East Africa impact campaign dubbed We Can Fight Climate Change for the international feature documentary, Thank you for the Rain.
In conjunction with Docubox (East Africa Documentary Film Fund), she is working with policy makers across National and County Governments, Private Stakeholders, Civil Society and Communities, using film as a tool for advocacy and social change, while also running impact screenings for the film, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by Participant Media, in Kenya. Previously, she was the in-house producer at Docubox.
She has worked extensively with young farmers across Kenya through Seeds of GoldTV show and the leading newspaper version for youth and agribusiness at Nation Media Group. She has produced TV shows for various networks in Kenya and has worked on international fiction co-productions that include Short films, Burnt Forest, nominated for best short film at the Africa Academy Movie Awards and A fork a spoon a Night – the prelude to the feature film Queen of Katwe for Tribeca Institute.
She is a Sundance fellow, Skoll fellow and Doc Society Impact Lab Alumni. She sits on the CJRF – Fund (Climate Justice Resilience Fund) Advisory Council and on the Global Impact Producers Assembly Steering committee.
