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JOHANNESBURG — Tosh Gitonga’s "Nairobi Half Life" is Kenya’s selection in the race for a nom in the Oscar foreign-language film category.
Pic was chosen by the Kenya Oscars Selection Committee, marking just the second time that a Kenyan film has been entered for consideration.
Recognizing "Half Life" as an important step forward for the local pic biz, selection committee chairman Wambui Kairo said it was "clear from this film that the Kenya film industry has the capacity to make movies that can compete on a global platform."
Produced by Kenya’s Ginger Ink Films and German helmer Tom Tykwer’s Berlin-based shingle One Fine Day Films, "Half Life" is a gritty but uplifting tale of young hustlers struggling to get by in the Kenyan capital.
The film was the product of an ambitious collaboration between Ginger Ink, One Fine Day and the German government-funded DW-Akademie, who together host an annual workshop in Nairobi for aspiring African helmers.
Producer Ginger Siobhain Wilson of Ginger Ink said that since its Nairobi preem in August, "Half Life" has been "the most successful theatrical release in Kenyan history for a local film."
Kenya’s only other selection for the foreign-language Oscar, "Heart of Fire," was submitted in 2008.
The deadline for all countries to send in their submissions is Oct. 1.
Source:http://www.chicagotribune.com