On 18^th June, 2019 Kenya Film Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Great Potential African Youth [GPAY] Africa in association with Associazione Culturale Cinemadamare forging a collaboration that will see the biggest gathering of young filmmakers from all over the world to Kenya later this year at the 17^th edition of Cinemadamare Africa Chapter 2019.

This program will run in five counties for a five-week period commencing 7^th November and ending on 15^th December, 2019. The event will be flagged off in Nairobi and will end at the coastal town of Malindi with a big international film festival.

The 17^th Edition is expected to host approximately 200 filmmakers from more than 100 countries with young filmmakers from different countries being given the opportunity to tell Kenyan stories under the theme “Gains of Devolution”. This event will also offer an opportunity for the participants to travel across scenic locations in the various counties while filming as well as offering a platform to network, share their cultures and experience of filming in a new environment.

CEO, Kenya Film Commission notes that, “As a Commission, we are glad to support this initiative because it offers an opportunity for Kenya to showcase its scenic locations to filmmakers from various countries around the world and reaffirm herself as the preferred film destination. This is also a great platform for Kenyan creative to demonstrate their skills.”

Short films produced in each county will be screened to the public and awards given to the best films that exhibit the best visual storytelling and filmmaking techniques. Participants will also get unique learning opportunities through special workshops facilitated by world renowned filmmakers.

“Associazione Culturale CinemadaMare” hosts the biggest gathering of young filmmakers from all over the world In Italy annually. For the past 17 years, the event has run for 75 days of summer, covering 12 different cities of Italy finally ending in the prestigious city of Venice at the oldest film festival in the world – the Venice International Film Festival.

Great Potential African Youth (GPAY) is a youth community-based organizatio based in Dandora that runs youth projects aimed at addressing socio-economic, cultural and environmental issues through film and photography training. To date, GPAY has empowered more than 216 youth in filmmaking who have produced 120 short films and 5 feature length films. GPAY has also scooped 4 awards, in four consecutive years of the annual Kalasha International TV and Film Awards – Diaspora Category since 2014.