Country:Kenya

Director:Wanjiru Kinyanjui

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

A young graduate job seeker from a poor family is desperate: All that can go wrong is going wrong. But then, a woman gives him advice for hard cash. Is she a con woman like hundreds of others in Nairobi? This film was shot with 'Riverwood' amateurs and students with a budget of 180,000Ksh. The director engaged and exchanged with Nairobi’s River Road video makers who wanted to experience the professional side of film making.

Country:Kenya

Director:Angelo Kinyua

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

We follow the lives of a father and son, each trying to find happiness in a dysfunctional family, where the wife and mother is at a loss of how to manage the men in her life. The tale is semi-abstract, helped along by song narration, and it is only at the end when the various seemingly unrelated events come together to reveal the disparate paths the father and son take.

Country:Kenya

Director:Michael Katerla

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

Twelve year old Mary lives with her family under one of the thousands of tin roofs in Mathare, Nairobi Kenya, one of the biggest slums in Africa. Between cleaning huts and selling the illicit brew `changa´, Mary dreams of becoming a hip hop singer. When she is challenged for a battle on the streets by the local Hip-Hop crew Ghetto Connection, she takes the opportunity to raise her voice..
Shot entirely on location in Mathare, the actors all live in Mathare and the story was developed with them in close cooperation with the local NGO 'Shootback'. This film is based on true events.

Country:Kenya

Director:Aleks Kamau

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

In this film a woman finds out about her cheating husband and decides to take matters in her own hand. She plans her revenge on her husband and his mistress.
Aleks has over 5 years experience in the production of documentaries, movies made for television, mini-series and short films. His experience includes directing, acting, filming and editing. He won the Most upcoming Talent of the year in the 2004 Journalist of the year awards in Kenya. Among the films he directed are the shorts Short Message Service and Born Loosers.

Country:Kenya

Director:Wanjiru Kairu

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

On the day he successfully secures his first date, John Webuye’s mother brings home a village girl; young, naïve but suitable bride material. He rejects his mother’s contribution and heads out to meet his date, the ideal; modest, educated, and a God-fearing Christian girl -one with the prospects of some day settling down with. A light, humorous story this film chronicles one man’s search for the elusive perfect love.

Country:Kenya

Director:Ravneet Chadha

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

This is the story of an 11year old rebellious girl that struggles against her mother's wishes in order to break free from the norms of society.

Country:Kenya

Director:Robby Bresson

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

George Simba is embarking on a new bus transport business when he is reunited with his18 year old son. The maiden trip of the busAfrican Pride and the attitude of her passengers form the back-drop of the film that seeks to highlight attitudes Africa has toward donor aid by posing the pertinent question:  Does Africa really need ... Help?

Country:Uganda

Director:Peter Suuna

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

Movies are a more complex thing that what we can expect. The question may be posed: Do we watch them because they entertain us, because we want to obtain information or because we want to be frightened…? The viewers react differently to the camera. They want to watch characters in films but they don’t want to see themselves being filmed.

Country:Uganda

Director:Kalundi Serumaga

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

The Benet Ndorobo people of Mt Elgon are driven out of their home in the name of environmental protection and development. The irony is that now they lead poorer and less secure lives, and the destruction to the forest is on the increase. Theirs is the first community to have pursued litigation against a sitting government and obtain a consent judgement.

Country:Uganda

Director:George Sengendo

Program:Eastern Parallels

Summary:

Two teenage girls encounter problems of growing up. As might seem familiar from Sengendo’s teaching dramas, the youngsters seek parental guidance but it is in vain, since the parents claim to be busy. When the girls get pregnant through peer pressure, one resorts to a crude abortion which results in her death while the other keeps the pregnancy but the delivery results in injuries to herself and her baby soon dies leaving her disconsolate.