A script is the basis of any film, and without a script, a video or film has no direction. It basically creates the main concept of any video production. At ADMF we believe that strong scriptwriting is an essential foundation for quality films that will reach audiences and eventually grow Africa’s film industry.
ADMF has partnered with the International Writers Lab that is being produced by The Blackhouse Foundation, PMF Media Group, and VentureLift Africa to support 5 outstanding Kenyan scriptwriters. The International Writers Lab fellowship is a rigorous 10-week program with the goal to support storytellers.
The 5 fellows who will be trained are Damaris Irungu, Voline Ogutu, Carolyne Kemunto, Wanjiru Kairu, and Grace Irungu. The program objective is to position them in a way that would boost their careers through increased awareness, among others. A final part of the program will involve a visit by the fellows to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, organized by the Blackhouse Foundation. This will expose them to different programs and provide a platform to network with other industry creatives like fellow writers and filmmakers.
The International Writers Lab is important for Kenya becuase for so long stories have been told about Africa from one perspective. The danger of this is that you don’t get to see the humanity of Africans. In this program we get to amplify voices that rarely get to be seen. – Wanjiru Kairu, IWL Fellow 2021
The importance of scriptwriting cannot be overlooked in all video projects, and the partners plan to roll out similar programs, where more creatives from additional industries like gaming, for example, would be impacted. Other partners in the project include Kenya Film Commission, The StoryBoard Collective (Episodic Storytelling Partner), Colour Entertainment, The Africa Channel, and Safaricom. We are proud of the first cohort and we look forward to how they are able to grow from the program.
