Coveted Kalasha Awards turn 10 with greater promise
“It will only get better.” Those were the words of Kenya Film Commission (KFC) chief executive officer Timothy Owase ,as Kalasha International Film and TV Awards turned 10 years old.
Regarded as Kenya’s Oscars, an Awards Ceremony held in the US, Kalasha International Film and TV Awards show is an annual event presented by KFC whose mandate is to promote a vibrant local film industry.
The awards seek to recognise talent in the different facets of film and TV industry by awarding those in the five original branches of filmmaking; directors, actors, writers, producers and technicians.
Kalasha is the Swahili word for the sprouting tusks of an elephant calf; this represents the growing TV and Film industry, which the commission endeavours to nurture.
Over the years Kenyan thespians have graced the annual event with the best of the best in the industry declared the winner amongst their peers.
During an interview with Nairobi News, Mr Owase said KFC’s mandate was to offer incentives in the industry for Kenya to produce high quality work and create room for competitiveness.
“We also had to create a scheme where industry petitioners, at least once in a year, they know they are being measured against each other in respective spaces,” he added.
Kalasha started as a film awards show but it has since grown to a film market.
Despite nothing much happening in the industry this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the film commission, after sending a call for entries, received as many as the previous years.
He said the level of competition today is much greater and for anyone to win a Kalasha, their work must be exceptionally good.
Mr Owase was recently elected to serve on Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) Board to become the first African to sit in the board in its 45 years of existence.
This year’s Kalasha awards will be a hybrid event which will be held on Saturday at the Sarit Centre and will only host a few invited guests due to Covid-19 protocols.
It will also be aired live on social media platforms as well as local television stations.