Kenyan nominated for Movie Awards

Kenyan actor and former television newscaster Oliver Litondo has been nominated for the 2012 National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) Awards.

This is a nomination for his outstanding role in the 2010 film The First Grader, where he played 84 year old Kimani Maruge, the Kenyan man who enrolled in elementary education after the government introduced free primary education in 2003. The film received two other nominations: Outstanding Motion Picture and Best Independent Motion picture.

Interestingly, Oliver’s co-star, Naomi Harris, has been cast as the next ‘Bond Girl’ in the upcoming James Bond series sequel ‘Sky Fall’.

Oliver was born in Kakamega but went to an American University where he studied broadcast journalism and proceeded to work for the BBC and German news agency DW. He later came back and did news anchoring for KBC and KTN. He developed an interest in Film and Acting, landing roles in movies such as the Wilby Conspiracy (1974), ‘Sheena: Queen of the Jungle’ (1984), ‘The Lion of Africa’ (1988) and ‘Ivory Hunters’ (1990).

Mr. Litondo was also named ‘Kenya’s National Hero’ for his lifetime achievement in Film and Broadcasting by President Kibaki.

The winners of the prestigious NAACP awards will be announced next Friday, 17th Feb 2012 and broadcast LIVE on American television channel NBC.

Have a look at The First Grader trailer below