Established in 2019, Manyatta Screenings is an alternative outdoor screening experience celebrating short films made by filmmakers from greater Eastern Africa
For its 2023 edition, Manyatta Screenings will host two short film festival programs, kicking off at Kikopey, Elementaita in Nakuru County on Friday 25 August and Saturday 26 August, and then at Mahiga Meru in Laikipia East in Kenya. Both festivals will include one hundred and ninety seven minutes block of films with 14 shorts in total, curated from a selection of films submitted from Kenya, Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Somaliland, Tanzania and Uganda.
2023 Manyatta Screenings lineup (in order of screening)
Jua Kali (Kenya)
Director: Joash Calvin Omondi
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 18 mins
Cast: Michelle Tiren, Bryan Ngatia, Akinyi Oluoch, Vaishali Morjaria, Galvin Oemba, Doanna Owano, Zawadi Njoroge, Lily Thamaini
A domestic worker and her colleagues diligently perform their daily duties, cleaning homes and keeping the secrets of their wealthy employers. Despite unwavering resilience and shared moments of calm, the physical demands of this labour begin to take their toll.
Sèt Lam (Réunion)
Director: Vincent Fontano
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 23 mins
Cast: Françoise Guimbert, Nicolas Moucazambo, Nadjani Bullin, Sihame Saïd Ouma
A man sees his own death, and in his attempt to escape it, he meets her. He dances and negotiates with her for his life and that of his family and generations to come.
A Void Life (Uganda)
Director: Nnyanzi Ian
Genre: Experimental
Runtime: 13mins
Cast: Asani Mdogo Henry, Ajatum Mercy, Hip Walker, Atite Prisca, Manana Apollo, Noel Katembo Isaiah, Decamp Jai
This film explores a world without end, déjà vu, and existence through pain, loss and grief.
The Whole Nine Yards (Kenya)
Director: Victor Omondi
Genre: Dramedy
Runtime: 13 mins
The story follows Kinuthia and Kalyaa, two high school graduates in a small village, celebrate their freedom from the confines of school. They meet at their favorite spot, a tree in a scenic field. While their excitement about the future is palpable, tensions rise when Kinuthia expresses his desire to leave the village for the city, causing a spat that leads to a heartening and comical reconciliation.
Chini ya Chaga (Tanzania)
Director: Kelvin Kagambo
Genre: Dramedy
Runtime: 15 mins
A mom-pleasing daughter chooses to protect her mischievous brother, only to deal with its consequences.
Forgiven Not Forgotten (Rwanda)
Director: Emmanuel Nturanyenabo
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 12 mins
Two men on different sides of the Rwandan genocide seek reconciliation and forgiveness in this documentary that shows how people have a huge capacity to forgive each other and heal from the atrocities of genocide.
Unspoken (Kenya)
Director: Karanja Ng’endo
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 7 mins
Cast: Nyokabi Macharia
In Unspoken, Julia returns to her small village to confront her estranged mother and the unresolved issues that have kept them apart for so long.
/’ieri/ (Rwanda)
Director: Remy Ryumugabe
Genre: Psychodrama
Runtime: 11 mins
Cast: Samuel Ntibeshya
A confused man is unable to distinguish between his past or present, dreams or reality, false or true awakenings. Who’s who? He can’t really tell. He’s just exploring an eerie situation, to see who or what’s there to be found.
Ttula (Uganda)
Director: Mwesigwa Benjamin Enoch
Genre: Psychodrama
Runtime: 6 mins
After witnessing his father’s suicide, a young man struggles with substance abuse to get through the day.
Life on the Horn (Somalia)
Director: Mo Harawe
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 25 mins
Cast: Mohamed Hersi, Xuseen Abdirisaaq, Faadumo Abshir, Cabdiraxmaan Maxamed, Maxamed Axmed Maxamed
Winner for Best Narrative Short Film (Tanit d’Or) at 2021 Carthage Film Festival, Life on the Horn follows a young Somali man follows his daily routine in face of an existential threat coming from the shores where toxic waste has been dumped illegally for a decade.
An Ode to a Time I Loved Bread (Tanzania)
Director: Neema Ngelime
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 11 mins
This memory trip of juvenile sentiments recalls the filmmaker’s time at a colonial legacy boarding school. Though high school can be fun and memorable for some, Neema compares her teenage years to her peers’ and finds odd differences. To revisit those times, Neema recreates her memories using collage as she lays down the absurd, the silly, and the sometimes unforgivable, interrogating it with her present self.
Baba (Kenya)
Director: Mbithi Masya
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 11 mins
Cast: Eyal Francis, Daniel James, Beatrice Kamuyu, Faith Kibathi, Victor Makgati, Mbeki Mwalimu, Nicholus Mwangi, Malik Wandera
In the outskirts of Nairobi, a six-year-old boy with the unique ability to teleport, struggles to understand his world and the people around him. Buoyed by childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, he bounces between his harsh reality and the peaceful solitude that his ability affords him, as he learns to protect his innocence.
Farewell Friends (Réunion)
Director: Lawrence Valin
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 13 mins
A group of friends with big dreams about the future, share expectations of their destinations as they say their final farewell.
Yule Mzee (Kenya)
Director: Moses Irungu
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 15 mins
Despite his age, 70 year-old-Peter Macharia goes against all odds to build a career in marathon running; a young man’s sport. The documentary explores the life of Peter, pushing boundaries, and the challenges he faces in his path.
Check out Manyatta Screenings for more.
