Kenya Films have come a long way,from the wildlife projected in Born-Free(1996) to the mysterious circumstances of The Constant Gardener(2005). The picturesque locales of Kenya provide a perfect backdrop to various kinds of plots and settings. Along with the beauty of the landscape,the colorful culture and diverse tribes of Kenya add to its charms.
Kenya has been used as setting by world famous directors like Sydney Pollack(Out of Africa), Fernando Meirelles(The Constant Gardener). Fabulous films like King Solomon's Mines, Gorillas in the Mist, Mo and Me and many others have been shot in Kenya. Moreover, Kenya serves a suitable backdrop for the filming of Wildlife Series of Africa.
The winner of the Oscar for the Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, ‘Nowhere in Africa’ was also shot in Kenya. The easy and cheap filming opportunities in Kenya has led to this popularization of the country as an ideal shooting spot.
Three film associations exist in Kenya that are as follows:
- Kenya National Film Association
- Kenya Film and TV Professionals Association
- Kenya Institute of Mass Communication
However the people of Kenya are not the subject matter of these films. They merely work as extras to enhance the African color and flavor of the movies. The women of Africa are making their presence felt in the field of film making in Kenya like Wanjiru Kinyanjui, director of The Battle of the Sacred Tree and Njeri Karago, producer of films like Dangerous Affair and Project Daddy.
