New Kenya Film Commission boss
plans to leave a rich legacy
BY MWENDA WA MICHENI
The new CEO of the Kenya Film Commission, Mr.
David Maingi, is already on the roll. Since December,
when he stepped into the new office, he has been rehearsing a lead role in an industry hoping to journey into
the boom he envisions for it. For now, this is still a sweet
dream.
His clean-shaven head, black executive designer
spectacles frames and suit and tie - rarely do filmmakers
dress this way - show that Mr. Maingi is yet to get
inducted into artistic ways of doing things. But he
certainly is dressed for the occasion because his mission
is to blend art and business. Having joined the
commission from the private sector, Mr. Maingi has
ideas to transform the local film sector into a multibillion shilling industry. But to some analysts, this is too
distant, too romantic.
"Fundraising has often not been efficient in the past
because programme development has been neglected”
says .Mr. Maingi leans more towards the business side of
filming leaving the artistic side to filmmakers.”My aim
is to chart the entire course to be followed for film to
leapfrog into mainstream economic activity and then
approach like minded partners with concrete plans that
place a value proposition on the expected development!'
If this happens, Mr. Maingi will soon lead the industry to
where it has been yearning to go. But as struggles to
develop film industries in other African countries have
proved, the walk won't be easy.
Since independence, attempts by players to mainstream
film into the economy have failed due to lack of
government funding, proper legal systems and even
distribution networks to sell films. Locally, the only
films that are recognized internationally are Hollywood
films shot in the country such as WhiteMischief,
NowherelnAjrica, Constant Gardener and even White
Maasai. Kenyan productions are rarely screened in
cinema theatres or television screens.
This has seen players in the industry engaged. From
discourse in the industry, Riverwood- a low budget
filmmaking style-has resulted.
In 2005, the government under pressure from filmmakers
granted the wishes of players in the film sector to
mainstream their interests by creating the Kenya Film
Commission.
Kenyans have a strong preference for local content. Mr.
Maingi promises an intervention from the commission
through a film development fund. "The film development
fund will certainly focus on the 80/20 principle where
funds will be channeled into areas that will yield most
momentum for sustainability:'
Three years later, optimism has grown into pessimism
with filmmakers concluding that the commission is just a
public relations project for the government. This is
because filmmakers are yet to taste the fruits of an
institution they spent lots of their time lobbying to have.
Mr Maingi seems very ambitious and determined to turn
fortunes around. He plans to transform the sector into a
multi billion shilling industry through several tactics;
among them involvement of corporate and lobby for
more government support to the industry.
One of the mandates of the KFC is to facilitate
investment in Kenya's film infrastructure. To fulfill this,
Mr. Maingi plans to go an extra mile on the fund raising
side. ''As a State corporation, our immediate source of
funding will remain the Government for the short-run.
Some partners have expressed interest in supporting
certain aspects of this development. KFC is in
discussions with many of these and common areas of
support will be identified for the support.
The commission has also indicated that it will be getting
involved in joint project formulation with various
development agencies as a way of deflating the full costs
of developing programmes on its own.
It is also exploring ways of involving the private sector
especially through corporate responsibility programmes
to support film development.
.When available, the funds will go directly into
development activities to move the industry towards
sustainability. Some of these, according to Mr. Maingi
include film production, film marketing and training
filmmakers in entrepreneurship.
He argues: ''No industry has ever gotten relevance in
economic matters unless the practitioners want it to be
that way. We cannot be taken seriously until we manage
the business side of film making:” Already, surveys on
television viewer ship in the country have shown that
Mr. Maingi is planning to transform the local film industry
into a multi-billion shilling industry. BD
Who is Maingi?
CEO, Kenya Film Commission.
Date of birth: 14th December 1972.
Qualifications: MSA, University of Leicester, UK;
MA in Mass Communications, University of Leicester,
UK; ACCA, UK; SA in Fine Art, Kenyatta University.
•Experience: Group head, marketing & corporate
Communications, Spencon Group; corporate affairs & Pr
manager, EA Portland Cement Company; public affairs
& information officer, UNDP; communications and web
development