Film Director Alex Konstataras Tears Into Kenya Film Commission and The Kalasha Film and Television Awards 2015, Labels It the ‘nail in the coffin’ Of The Film Industry
Award Winning film director and founder of Historia Films Alex Konstantaras is a disappointed man. The ‘Fundimentals’ director is disappointed by the Kenya Film Commission actions which he accused of placing too much attention of the Kalasha Awards instead of focusing on getting solutions to the problems that ail the film industry.
The following is a letter he sent to us where he vents his frustrations and tears through the Kenya Film Commission and the 2015 Kalasha Awards;
” Subject: Where is the Kenyan Film Industry heading to?
To:
Here are my thoughts on the recently announced Kalasha Film & Television Awards 2015 (with no disrespect to any of the nominees). This is not a celebration on the Kenyan film industry and its practitioners but another nail in the coffin of it. Instead, all these years, finding a way to help the local producers produce more Kenyan feature films they focus in the wrong aspect, the awards. As a result of that we had hardly 3-4 feature films that premiered in the cinemas the last year. The Kenya Film Commission instead of admitting that there is a problem, they decided to run the awards again and this time fill the gaps in the nominations with various unknown short films and sideline the 3-4 feature films that even got international exposure. They announced that they had 190 (!) submissions in the Kalasha this year without explaining what were these nominations (shorts, documentaries, tv series etc) and that the feature films were the poor relative. So Kalasha decided instead of “admitting defeat” in essentially supporting the Kenyan film industry, to transform Kalasha in a short/student film awards. I know some of the short film producers and directors will react in what I am saying and think that I am trying to degrade their efforts. I am actually doing the opposite. I am giving them a warning of how their future in this industry will be. Because EVERY WHERE in the world short films are a different category than feature films. Short films are mainly there to show case the talent of an upcoming film maker who didn’t have the budget to make a feature film. Very few directors stick to short films. The main aim is to move to feature films. So before you say that I am saying all these things out of jealousy, just try and project your self in a few years and see what your future will be when you decide to try or even manage to produce a feature film and feel the pain of being ignored by your own industry. Kalasha is becoming a talent show and kills the people who really try hard over the years even before they get old. They prefer to give nominations, awards and fake hopes to people with no possible future in the industry instead of acknowledging the very few who are trying alone to keep this industry alive. All in all I feel that the train that the Kalasha and KFC are in doesn’t really have space for us in this suicidal journey. So I choose to step down from it now before is too late. And all of you who got nominations for your short films don’t be fast to judge me. You will sooner or later come to my shoes and realise how meaningless all these are. Its up to you to change it. Don’t seek nominations and pats in the back for something you did entirely on your own. Seek a real change that will offer you proper work in this industry who is in a coma. Lets not let them treat us as recycling objects who our only purpose of existence is to fill the gaps in their awards. I also feel sorry for my fellow actors who struggle in this industry only to get ignored over and over again. I am not a quitter. I will continue. And everyone should. Just not in this train. Choose your path wisely before you end up a puppet in their show.
Alex Konstantaras”
