Kenyan film, again, has been received international recognition after a Kenyan short film Shoto was nominated for the prestigious Best of NFML (New Filmmakers Los Angeles) awards for Best New Media.
The nomination was announced in Hollywood on Sunday. Shoto is the nickname of a matatu driver whose route runs from Umoja to town and back.
The film follows a day in Shoto’s life and in the process, it showcases many aspects of matatu culture.
The initial idea which led to the making of Shoto is attributed to Firul Maithya and Arnold Mvoi.
Azali Ishmael, who was among the film makers of Shoto, could not hide his joy when news of the film’s nomination broke.
“Tonight I want to take this opportunity to first thank God, thank the stories found Team: James Martin, Bud Simpson and Evie Maina in conjunction with the US Embassy Nairobi, not forgetting the AMAZING AMAZING students who took a 3 week online course and 1 week Crush Ground/practical course, to make this a success project together with our main cast SHOTO,” he posted.
The film was funded by the US Embassy in Kenya, which also assisted the Stories Found project.
The winner of the New Filmmakers Los Angeles Awards is usually picked by a 14-member jury made up of professionals who work in the Los Angeles and larger Hollywood film industry.