The Kenyan film industry is growing fast and young, innovative brains are coming up with amazing ideas to satisfy the thirst for Kenyan stories. It is 30th January; the long dry month is coming to an end. Few people stream into the auditorium of USIU. Notable among them is a lady in all black. Her dressing during the festival tells it all; she loves rock. And in her eyes you can see a vision larger than a mountain.
The USIU auditorium is far from full. Over 20 films and music videos are screened. The most popular film is about Joe [This is Joe], the guy who invented Superman then went ahead to become blind and lose his rights to the character. We also get to see a preview of Mildred’s upcoming short film, "Abso-bloomin-lutely" [inspired by the song of the same name, done by Kenyan rock band Murfy's Flaw].
The aim of the festival is to desensitize Kenyan society on the myths surrounding rock. Come next time, I’m sure you will enjoy.
[The next ROFFEKE screening will be on the 5th of March, on the Saturday before International Women's Day. Theme: "Chicks" as Crew and Cast. See this for more details]
Erastus Hinga is a screenwriter and a member of the Kenya Scriptwriters Guild
This blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at ROFFEKE. ROFFEKE is pronounced "rafiki" which is a Swahili word meaning "friend". 'Friendship, Fun, Freedom' is the motto of the ROck 'n' ROll Film FEstival, KEnya. The mission of ROFFEKE is to promote rock music in Kenya by dispelling rock 'n' roll myths and misconceptions via the medium of film. The Purpose of ROFFEKE is "Lighten the Burden".