This year saw a total of 17,017 entries from filmmakers across the world with 32 Kenyan entries. Three Kenyan students made the cut and will be able to showcase their work.
The official screening and launch will be at Kichen, Ihub, Ngong Road, on Wednesday at 5pm. Entry is free.
The films will also be screened at four institutions which are Multimedia and Kenyatta Universities, Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, Africa Film and TV Talent Training Institute.
Some of the countries that will showcase their works are Nigeria, US, Senegal, Egypt, Cameroon, Germany, Zimbabwe, China and Japan.
The films deal with with issues that run across cultures like migration, poverty, FGM and prostitution.
"We have a Kenyan film that will talk about prostitution in the Coastal city,” festival director Wanjiru Kinyanjui said.
“Mama Afrika Film Festival will continue reaching out to more schools and hopes to inspire and engage young, aspiring filmmakers and promote collaborations between universities and the industry stakeholders,” she added.
Noting that although the youth love watching blockbuster movies, it was time they started watching movies that depict real issues in the society.
Upcoming film makers and film students will get to interact and network with producers and directors and learn from them.
It will also offer an opportunity to challenge more filmmakers to contribute and submit more films about cultural heritage in the upcoming years.
Mama Afrika Film Festival has partnered with the Embassy of Spain and International Images for Film Festival for Women (IIFF) from Zimbabwe which is the only women's festival South of Sahara.
Spanish Ambassador Javier Viedma said the initiative is meant to promote gender issues and culture.
“We normally meet with the Kenyan and Netherlands governments to promote gender perspectives in peace keeping operations," Viedma said.
The Embassy is soon coming up with a seminar in partnership with the EU and Ministry of Gender and Youth to discuss delicate gender and youth issues like suicide in Kenya.
The film festival has also partnered with Rugano books formerly known as Magunga bookstore for attendees to access books they can adapt into films.
“Rugano books is an online bookstore where we promote and distribute African books by African authors. With this platform we will be able to expose books to film directors,'” Rugano books Director David Mabiria said.
By Melanie Mwangi
