Kenya organises its first Indian Film Festival

The first-ever Indian Film Festival in Kenya was inaugurated in a grand ceremony in Nairobi by the Indian High Commissioner Rahul Chhabra. Awardees included popular actor Arjun Rampal and top filmmakers Raju Chadha, Rahul Mittra, Umesh Shukla, Dharmindra Mehra and Ajay Arora.

The Minister for Information, Communication & Technology, Joe Mucheru, pledged to review the decades-old Films and Stage Plays Act to make it friendlier to filmmakers and said that the government would line up tax holiday and rebates to lure Indian movie makers to invest in Kenya. 

“I see a lot of opportunities in Kenya and was elated at the warm reception. I look forward to shooting a film here soon,” added Raju Chadha, producer and film presenter who was awarded for his immense contribution to Indian cinema. Filmmaker Rahul Mittra’s address at the round table got a standing ovation where he spelled out the way forward for the Kenyan Government in order to attract filmmakers from India and rest of the world, which was noted by the minister. 

The five days Indian Film Festival Kenya 2019 was curated by Captain Rahul Sudesh Bali and organised by The Indian Film Festival Worldwide (IFFW) under the aegis of the High Commission of India in Kenya and supported by Kenya Film Commission.