Nairobi Half Life to Premiere at International Film Festival

Nairobi Half Life will premiere at the Durban International Film Festival on the 21st of July. The film which was shot about two years ago, mostly in Nairobi, is one of this year’s most awaited local films. A trailer was released last month but a date had not been set.

Nairobi Half Life tells the story of Mwas, an optimistic young man who decides to move to the big city to pursue his dream of becoming an actor but ends up on the wrong end of the law and tries working his way out.

Nairobi Half Life will show twice at the Festival, on 21st and 24th July. The film is then expected to be released in Kenya at the end of August where it will enjoy a theatrical run.

The film was directed by Tosh Gitonga and produced by Tom Tykwer’s One Fine Day Films and Ginger Ink. The Durban International Film Festival is organized by Centre for Creative Arts. One Fine Day and Ginger Ink previously collaborated on the Hawa Essuman-helmed short, Soul Boy.

Tom Tykwer previously directed Perfume, Run Lola Run, The International (with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts), among others. He is currently working on the most expensive German production in history together with the Wachowski brothers, makers of The Matrix.

Nairobi Half Life is Tosh Gitonga’s first feature length film as director. He was previously assistant director in such films as The First Grader and Transit. He has also directed episodes of MNet’s Changes. He is also a director at Film Crew in Africa, a job placement agency for film.

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