[BFMA 2012] New films screened, what to expect on Day 2

The film which tells the story of Kalu, a talented Kenyan footballer who moves from rural Kenya to urban Johannesburg to follow his dreams and support his family. His path becomes more challenging when he falls in love with the coach's daughter, Ify, and subsequently finds out he is HIV positive.

Bruce Rabinowitz of Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, based in USA, told the conference that this was the first screening of the film in an African country outside South Africa and was the film's introduction to African broadcasters.

Day 1

Prior to the screening, Kenyan Film Commission CEO, Peter Mutie joined experts from across the globe, including Envir Fraser, head of Research, regulatory and Policy at South African Convergence partners, Belgium based Dr Ann Overbergh, Gregory Olumuya Odutayo of Nigeria's Royal Roots Communications in an opening session that decried importance of 'film cities' and quality production houses across Africa.

What to expect on Day 2

Day 2 is expected to be filled with presentations and the screening of new film, Hospital, which "chronicles the lives of four pregnant women as they face the dangers of village child birth in Ghana. It is like nothing you have seen, it will change how we perceive African film," said Producer Abiel Keli from Ghana.

Most of the presentation by local media houses scheduled, will revolve around the changing business models for TV broadcasting and the digital transitions. Among high profile media and film personalities from Kenya expected on the second day include Catherine Kasavuli, corporate affairs manager at Citizen TV, who will moderate a session on the impact of new satellite technologies on broadcasting; Wanuri Kahiu, an international award-winning filmmaker and Ian Fernandes, CEO of Nation Media Broadcasting CEO.

The highlights expected at Day 2 will include a discussion on the impact of mobile on broadcasting, the relevance of the mobile platform to film and the emerging giant of online music distribution including Spinlet, described as Africa's iTunes.

Presenters will include: Steve Rich, regional head of Africa for NewSat Australia; Joel Rao of inMobi and Joe Otin, research and monitoring director at Ipsos Synovate; Eric Idiahi, CEO of Spinlet in USA and Nigeria, and Nicole Klassen of Bozza from South Africa; Michael Dearham, senior vice president in charge of English based program and film business at Cote Ouest, is expected to present on an overall analysis of production levels, innovations, budgets and financing ecology in Africa's audio visual market.