ROFFEKE at MV Fest

On 30th November, ROFFEKE was privileged to be a part of MV Fest, organized by Olamart Creatives. The venue was the beautiful and serene Oak Place Hotel and Conference Centre. The workshop, titled "ABCD of Screenwriting", was attended by actors, screenwriters, film students, models, a music video producer, an artist and a teacher. I used various short films and music videos that were submitted to ROFFEKE to illustrate the basics of screenwriting.

ANTAGONIST

"The antagonist (not the protagonist) must have the greatest willpower, which makes him or her the most powerful character in your story."
- Michael Tabb.

Screening: THIS IS JOE



The protagonist can be his or her own worst enemy.

SCREENING: RITA



BACKSTORY

One of the many things that Backstory helps a writer to do is identify conflict. "Conflict is the fundamental element of fiction, fundamental because...only trouble is interesting. It takes trouble to turn the great themes of life into a story..." - Janet Burroway.

Screening: ROCK IS NOT AN ATTITUDE



CONFLICT

Three types of conflict:
Man versus self (intrapersonal)

Man versus man (interpersonal)

Screening: ON THE FLOOR

On The Floor from Georges HH on Vimeo.

Screening: TAP



Man versus environment

Screening: WALL OF DEATH

Synopsis: "A meteorite flies to the earth and threatens to destroy an open air rock'n'roll party. Through the power of a "Wall Of Death" the festival visitors can save the party!"



DIALOGUE

"A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue." - David Mamet

One participant wanted to know what the screenwriter's role was if no dialogue was used in a movie. I explained that the screenwriter is the one who writes a lot of what will appear on the screen.

Screening: THE SOUND OF ROAD



Screening: MEASURE OF A MAN



(Check out the interview with Measure of a Man director and actor here)

I ended by asking the participants: What are the ABCDs in RED OMEN?

Screening: RED OMEN

Synopsis: "Award winning Canadian singer songwriter Ed Roman along with animator extraordinaire Nelson Diaz from There Be Dragons Creative Media in NYC have created an exquisite animation to the title track of Ed Roman’s latest album Red Omen. The message is for awareness of Dyslexia."



(Read ROFFEKE Volunteer, Zafrica Hasaja's review of Red Omen, here)

We ended with a short discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the Kenyan film industry.

ROFFEKE Screening at Metta (November 17th)

Philosophy is more than an academic subject; it is a daily practice that helps people to live in a better, more humane way." - Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

On every third Thursday of November, the world celebrates world philosophy day. In a 2016 article titled Why Future Business Leaders Need Philosophy Anders Poulsen writes:

"The rising demand for both creative and concrete problem-solving as well as abstract and strategic thinking indicates the necessity to broaden the reflectivity-horizon of the narrow business perspective that future business leaders will determine their decisions within. Business tends to seek one rationalised conclusion at the expense of others. This closes opportunities, rather than opens them. Philosophy, on the other hand, can through critical reasoning continually question and rethink the assumed certainties and its basic premises. In this sense, business and philosophy might seem poles apart at first glance and their interdisciplinary potential has for long been largely unrecognized on traditional business schools, but this is about to change."

PROGRAMME

6:01-6:05
Welcoming Remarks
Metta Rep.

6:05-6:10
Business - How much must we sacrifice?
Narissa Allibhai
Feminist, activist, creative, modern Pan-Africanist. Masters graduate from University of California, Berkeley,Founder of #savelaketurkana

6:10-6:15
Goinghomedotcom
David Ogot

6:15-6:20
Screening: Wild Oates
Director: Joshua J. Provost
Synopsis:
John Oates (Hall & Oates) is pushed to the limit during a tedious music video shoot in this retro musical parody.
Philosophy:
Envy is from the latin "invidia" which means non-sight. In the Divine Comedy, Dante portrays the envious as working under cloaks of lead, with their eyes sewn shut with leaden wire.
Business:
"Entrepreneurial envy damages social ties and potential collaborations, and its particularly pernicious because its often unspoken." - Kate Swoboda in "Overcoming Entrepreneurial Envy" entrepreneur.com



6:20-6:30
Screening: On The Floor
Director: Georges Hauchard-Heutte
Synopsis:
An upcoming Heavy-Metal band. Two brothers - singer and guitarist. A fight during a concert leads their band to darker days.
Philosophy:
"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst." - Aristotle
Business:
"Be kind and generous, be as reasonable as possible, get a prenup, define mutual desired outcomes, factor in an exit clause/have an exit strategy, the heat of the moment, communicate everything. From “15 Tips to Peacefully Break Up With Your Business Partner"

Watch on the Floor here

6:30-6:35
Screening: Rock is not an attitude
Director: Xiaoxiao Tang
Synopsis:
A stop-motion rock band talks about life before their band: Rock is not only an attitude. Our lives are a reflection of our attitudes: just like music, we are all different and unique, but there is no distance.
Philosophy:
"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." – Aristotle
T.E.A.M – Together Everyone Achieves More; Synergy

6:35-6:47
Screening: Somos Amigos (We are friends)
Director: Carlos Solano Perez
Synopsis:
What would you do if you had to fire your best friend? Somos Amigos (We Are Friends) is a short film that seeks to explore the limits between friendship and work... if they exist at all.
Philosophy: "The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened." - John F. Kennedy.
Business: CSR, Justice, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Somos Amigos (We Are Friends) - Short Film from Carlos Solano on Vimeo.

6:47-6:51
Screening: This is Joe
Director: Francis Diaz Fontan
Synopsis:
During the 70's, in New York, Joe Shuster works as a delivery guy. But it wasn't always like this...
Philosophy: "The rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened." - John F. Kennedy.
Business: CSR, Justice, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)



7:00-7:20
Screening: Frontman
Director: Matthew Gentile
Synopsis:
"In FRONTMAN, we explore and witness the construction and destruction of an American icon, who has one simple goal: to play music for an audience and please his fans. We’ll see the obstacles he’ll face, both internal and external, to do that. My hope in making this film is that we, the filmmakers, and the audience as well, can understand the extremely challenging but ultimately rewarding journey that comes with pursuing your passion." – Director’s Statement
Philosophy: "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least." – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Business: "having a good work/life balance means that your actions and priorities are aligned in a way that is taking care of what is really important to you." – From 'How to Strike a Work and Life Balance', stephencovey.com

7:20-7:25
Q and A Session
Mildred Achoch

7.25-7.30
Poetry: The philosophy of love
Carmen Tiiri

7:30-7:50
Live Band
Murfys Flaw

7:50-7:55
Vote of Thanks
Mildred Achoch/
Metta Representative

7:55-8:00
Networking/Guests leave at their pleasure

#bizandphilosophy