The second annual film competition, taking place during the International Women's Summit in Nairobi, 3 – 5 July 2007, gives 30 youth delegates from all over the world just 48 hours to write, shoot, edit, and deliver a short film of three minutes on a specific HIV and AIDS issue.
“48fest Kenya challenges young people to trust their courage, imagination and determination by making compelling short films in just 48 hours,” says Georgia Arnold, VP public affairs, MTV Networks International.
“The competition stays ahead of the curve by involving both MTV viewers and the core HIV and AIDS community in the creation of art that delivers a truly powerful message to a youth audience.”
“MTV base Africa is committed to discussing issues that are important to the youth of Africa,” says Alex Okosi, SVP and GM, MTV Networks Africa. “Promoting awareness and prevention of HIV and AIDS in Africa is chief among them, but young people often don't have a voice when it comes to these issues.”
For its African debut, 48fest Kenya will comprise five teams of six youth delegates to the International Women's Summit. Each team will be assigned to create a film that focuses on one of five female-driven, HIV and AIDS-themed issues, including the feminisation of the disease, access to VCT, female condoms, HIV and pregnancy, and stigma and poverty.
The teams will be accompanied by MTV technical staff and youth experts based in Kenya, who will serve as mentors to offer balanced assistance and to sharpen their skills across all areas of filmmaking. All short films, as well as a 30-minute documentary of the challenge, will be available for broadcast in December for World AIDS Day across all of MTV's worldwide platforms – on air, online, and on mobile – as well as to third party broadcasters and content distributors rights- and cost-free.
The “Best Film” will be announced by music video and motion picture director Bryan Barber at an intimate film screening and awards ceremony held at the Hilton Intercontinental, Nairobi, on 5 July.
The 48fest Kenya films will be made available for broadcast across MTV's worldwide network of 55 TV channels, 17 mobile TV channels, and more than 60 online properties, including African music channel MTV base (DStv Channel 88).
In addition, the shorts will be compiled into a documentary programme, Staying Alive: 48fest Kenya (working title), that will showcase the films as well as behind-the-scenes footage as the young filmmakers progress through their many stages of film production. Viewers can watch streaming coverage of the full competition online at MTV International's broadband channels. Offered rights-free and cost-free to third party broadcasters, the films and documentary will be available for worldwide broadcast in December for World Aids Day.
48fest Kenya comes on the heels of last year's successful 48fest, which took place in Toronto in conjunction with the XVI International Aids Conference (Aids 2006). Fear and Loathing, a three-minute film about stigma, won “Best Film.” The winning team comprised delegates from Bulgaria, Canada, China, Guyana, India, and Uganda. In addition, all eight films from 48fest won awards at the New York Aids Film Festival, and one film, The Last Time, was a finalist at the prestigious New York Film Festival.
48fest Kenya is a partnership between MTV Networks International, UNAIDS, the M-A-C AIDS Fund, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and UNFPA.
