Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has promised to nurture and support talents in the film industry in the coastal county.
Governor Achani said her administration is committed to creating an environment that fosters creativity, innovation, and growth for the nascent film industry.
Achani pledged to invest in the necessary infrastructure to ensure the growth of the local film industry and complement the efforts of the relevant stakeholders who built the industry from scratch.
She spoke when she met with dedicated film and movie producer David Anguka and actors in the Matuga sub-county of Kwale.
She pledged to tap into and advance the creative talents of the youth who strive to live meaningful lives daily.
Mr. Anguka is a movie producer who has produced renowned TV series like ‘Pete’, which was shot and filmed in Funzi Island in Kwale.
Funzi Island is a tropical haven with mangrove forests, green coral reefs, and lush green vegetation. For discerning tourists, this exclusive sandy island is the absolute dream location.
The meeting was to acknowledge the effort, support, and contribution the devolved government has offered to Anguka and his movie crew and further share publicity credit for ‘MVERA’, a movie that was also shot and filmed in Kwale and debuted on Netflix last week.
“Our meeting was successful, and we discussed collaborating on talent identification and support for youth in Kwale,” she said, adding that she is determined to create an enabling environment for aspiring local film makers.
She noted that the film industry can also contribute to promoting the local tourism industry in the county if productions are well marketed.
Governor Achani commended the efforts of producer Anguka for showcasing talented youths in Kwale and further giving opportunities to many people that were cast in the ‘MVERA’ movie.
Achani, who was accompanied by the County Executive for Social Services and Talent Management, Francisca Kilonzo, says the county has built a state-of-the-art audio-visual recording studio at the Kwale Cultural Centre and will continue to invest in training and mentorship programmes for aspiring artists.
She said the Sh14 million facility aims to promote talents and also create a source of livelihood among the youth, besides preserving the different cultural aspects of the coastal people.
The coastal county boss says the devolved unit will continue to invest in the creative industry in order to add value to the film sector and make Kwale even more prosperous.
‘Mvera’ was nominated in the Oscars’ Awards and is now showcasing on Netflix, which will increase viewership from local TV stations to Africa and further to the globe.
Anguka revealed that the local film actors have undergone extensive training in various aspects of filmmaking, such as scriptwriting, screen acting, producing, and visual postproduction, among others.
He said he is confident the tourism potentials of Kwale will be hugely boosted if the devolved government partners with the local movie industry to produce films that place a spotlight in the coastal region.
By Hussein Abdullahi
