Aida and The Inlaws: A true story.

Aida Achieng    Greetings from Hot Sun Foundation!    Aida and The Inlaws:  a true story                      Support young filmmakers in East Africa! goto.gg/3632  Have you ever had a misunderstanding with your inlaws? What if your inlaws came into your house and took away everything you own?   Outrageous? Unbelievable? Here's Aida's story and the story of a film at Hot Sun Foundation that mirrored her own life. Aida Achieng, 28, graduated from Kibera Film School in 2010. Aida is currently the coordinator of the Kibera Film School.   Two years ago, Joash, one of the trainees at Kibera Film School was preparing to shoot a short film. The main actress didn't show up.   Joash asked Aida to take the lead part and she agreed. Joash shot the film and all went well. According to Kenyan tradition, after the death of the husband, the in-laws come and take all of the property from the widow, and sometimes even her children. In Joash's film, titled The Inlaws, the grieving widow, played by Aida, lost everything, even a photo of her deceased husband. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMRaCK7voKU   Joash based his film The Inlaws on what had happened to his aunt. He didn't know at the time of making the film, that in real life, following the death of her husband in an auto accident nine years ago, Aida's in-laws came to her apartment and took everything, leaving her with an empty house. Aida is pleased with the film: The InLaws got prizes in film festivals. I was able to show what women who don't have voices are going through. I want all Kenyans to see this film and change this tradition. These are the type of films that the youth at Kibera Film School are making - stories of lives of people whose voices are not heard - stories that can help change lives and destructive traditions. You can be a co-producer of films like The Inlaws and help change the lives of women like Aida. Support young East African filmmakers! Donate at goto.gg/3632 Your support will go 50% farther for ONE DAY ONLY - Wed. 12 June - Bonus Day. Mark it on your calendar, mobile phone, computer. Remember to support young East African filmmakers on Wednesday 12 June. Thanks!        Marketing & Business Advice Are you a marketing or business professional? Come and give a talk at the Kibera Film School. Send an email to info@hotsunfoundation.org    Mentors WANTED!   Mentor a young filmmaker. No film experience needed. Inspire others!   Send an email to projects@hotsunfoundation Volunteers Wanted!  Want to be part of the dynamic new film industry in Kenya?  Come and volunteer!  Learn more about volunteering info@hotsunfoundation.org

To support the great youth of the Kibera Film School, please visit our Global Giving Page

Celebrity Quiz

 

Greetings from Hot Sun Foundation!

Here's a celebrity quiz for you:

 

 Do you recognize the woman on the left? 

Hint: she's a well-known international actress who has the same surname as a famous British conservationist. 

Or what about this one?

 

Hint: he's well known in TV and theatre in Kenya including Tusker Project fame.

Answers can be found on our new website:     http://www.hotsunfoundation.org 

 And while you're here, why not sign up to get every new blog as soon as it comes out? 

Look in the upper right corner under Subscribe To.  Sign up today and learn more about filmmaking

To support the great youth of the Kibera Film School, please visit our Global Giving Page

Kevin on left reviewing script of Boomerang with Godfrey Chogo, Assistant Director

  
Mineral Water and Preproduction

By Kevin Kiarie, trainee at Kibera Film School

Last week at Kibera Film School began on a high note followed by a pin drop silence.  We were scared of the gigantic task before us -- we were beginning to shoot our very first short film projects.

With this in mind and our scripts in our hands, the previous weeks we were busy with our preparations. This stage of filmmaking is called Pre-production.

Pre-production can make you or break you. This is where a filmmaker makes the plans necessary for successful production. It’s a grand scheme made up of a number of details.

Preproduction requires a checklist that contains  every detail about crew, actors, locations, budget, rehearsal, shooting schedule, equipment, props, wardrobe and makeup.

Pre- production includes

1.    Auditioning and casting-Getting the required actors for various roles.

2.    Location scouting- finding the places for your shoot.

3.    Releases:  for the location, for everyone in your film.  Have them signed during preproduction.

4.    Rights acquisition- if you are using music in your production talk to the owner first to get permission to avoid being sued.

5.    Budget- this is an estimate of income and expenditure.

6.    Rehearsals: working with actors is a challenge, especially volunteers. They need time to learn and practice lines.

7.    Shooting schedule: When doing this visualize a shoot, day by day, hour by hour, imagining what everyone is doing at any given time. Detailed thinking works out the daily schedules.

8.    Equipment checking- everything ready for shooting, including cameras, lights, tripod, slate and sound kit . VERY IMPORTANT: Batteries charged, back up batteries available. 

9.    Catering: even for a short, low budget film, actors and crew need water, juice, snacks to be productive, especially on a hot day. 

Wednesday 22 May, 2013  the shoots began on a high note.  I was privileged to be a cast member for my classmates low budget short film. After the first scene I was so thirsty and as if he had read my mind, out of nowhere he offered me water! This impressed me a lot. As we called it a wrap I was so much amazed by how much preparations he had done.

Wish my classmates all the best!

Shooting Boomerang, Kevin on left, Charles with sound, Godfrey with Camera, Josphat, lead actor

To support the great youth of the Kibera Film School, please visit our Global Giving Page

Africalia Supports Art and Culture

               Bjorn Maes (2nd on left) Africalia Program Manager with Hot Sun Foundation staff 

What is the role of art and culture?

 For Africalia, art and culture are essential for all people. Africalia supports and celebrates art in seven African countries: South Africa, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Kenya, DRC, Senegal and Zimbabwe. Africalia is a non profit organisation based in Belgium. (www.africalia.be).

Hot Sun Foundation has been working in partnership with Africalia since December 2008.  Because of Africalia's long-term commitment, Hot Sun Foundation is on its way to becoming a stable, community based arts organisation, focusing on filmmaking. 

Last week, Hot Sun Foundation was delighted to host a visit by Southern Africa & Kenya Program Manager,  Bjorn Maes.  Bjorn has lived in Zimbabwe and is well acquainted with arts and filmmaking in Africa and Europe.

Bjorn spent a morning with the Hot Sun Foundation staff, reviewing and assessing the progress of the foundation and its three programmes: Kibera Film School, Kibera TV and Hot Sun Productions.

Bjorn participated in an afternoon film screening session with the trainees at Kibera Film School. He reviewed and critiqued their short films.  He emphasised the importance of  great stories and quality production values in every short film. He suggested film festivals to enter and agree to make himself available to assist in film festival submissions.

The Kibera Film School trainees and staff were inspired and encouraged by Bjorn's interest in their work and Africalia's support for Hot Sun Foundation.

                          Bjorn with Kibera Film School trainees, showing off the

                                 backs of their tee shirts with the Africalia logo 

Thank you Bjorn for your visit.  

And thank you Africalia for your guidance and support. 

To support the great youth of the Kibera Film School, please visit our Global Giving Page