Daniel Dache's "Above The Storm".

Daniel Dache is founder of the Bridge of Hope, and was kind enough to give me some time for an interview featured in Matatu Express. Daniel has worked extensively with orphans in Kibera who are HIV positive. He's also just recently written a book, called Above the Storm, which appears to be a faith based perspective on his extensive experience. His book is launching this Sunday July 17th at 10AM local time, and will air on Citizen TV available on DSTV in Kenya. Congratulations Daniel.

Matatu Express - World Premiere at NXNE Festival

Matatu Express will have it's World Premiere @ the National Film Board of Canada (150 John Street, Toronto) Wednesday, June 15 @ 6:15 PM For more information check out the NXNE festival site here. I am so grateful for the help I have gotten from everyone to make this film, and happy that it has found an audience. I hope it can change the way people view the world, and realize how young people are working hard to make it a better place.

New Poster Design!

Had a chance to re-design the Matatu Promo poster. I think I like this version a bit better. The black background gives it a slicker look, and I also switched up the images below. Feel free to grab a nifty high resolution copy, by clicking here. And if you'd prefer a smaller size that can be printed on 8.5"X 11" paper, click here.

Empowerment!

Want to find out more about how you can impact, empower and help transform the people and Kiberan community organizations profiled in Matatu Express? Check out the empowerment page on the Matatu web site. You can make a difference by learning more about each organization and reaching out to them and spreading the word.

Click Here to check it out now!

Matatu Press Kit - Now Available Online.

I recently finally got around to designing a really neat poster for Matatu Express, along with a one sheet. They are now available online, and you can download them for free here!

Click here to view/download the poster.
Click here to view/download the press kit.

A New Breeze Blows Clean Air Across Kenya.

There's an exciting article in i09.com about a new company called Lake Turkana Wind Power. According to the company's web site, they are "poised to provide 300 MW of clean power to Kenya's national electricity grid by taking advantage of a unique wind resource in Northwest Kenya near Lake Turkana. Using the latest wind turbine technology LTWP will provide reliable and continuous clean power to satisfy up to 17% of Kenya's planned total installed power upon commissioning in 2012." Let's hope some of this electricity will get to Kibera. In any case though, it's innovative ideas like this that will catapult Kenya into the 21st Century, maybe ahead of some Western nations, stuck with iron age concepts of non-renewable sources of energy.
Click here for the i09 article.
Click here for the Lake Turkana Wind Power website.

Other Films About Kibera

I think it's important to support fellow filmmakers. To make a movie is a very long, and difficult journey. Sure, it's a lot of fun, but it takes time, effort, tough skin, and tenacity to stick it through, because along that winding road of a journey, there are an infinite number of bumps and obstacles that threaten to derail you, just like an unpaved road in Kenya. So I think it's only right to support and share the work of fellow filmmakers who are working on some really interesting material that highlight Kiberan stories.

Togetherness Supreme is directed by Nathan Collett, and has recently won some awards, including best Audience Choice Awards at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

And fellow Torontonian Robin Pierro also did a documentary on Kibera last year, called The Voice of Kibera, about the impact of the new constitution for Kiberans.

Please check out both their films, and support the stories of independent filmmakers, as it's important to promote independent thoughts and stories, especially those that cover a disenfranchised people.

Clean Energy Centers Arrive to Kibera

I wanted to profile a really neat NGO that is doing some remarkable work in Kibera.
Ok Habitat is partnering to build a "clean energy center" or commonly known a bio-latrine with Umande Trust a local NGO. With running water a major scarcity and a major health concern as far as human waste - these are sanitary toilet facilities which digests human waste to produce gas which in turn is used as a communical kitchen meaning that people don't have to pay for charcoal that is produced by cutting down forests, so not only does it help humans, it helps our environment as well.

Based in Kibera, Umande Trust have built more than 40 bio-centers all over Kenya. For more information, click here, and to contact Umande, or make a donation, check out their site here.

Update!

Hey everyone, I know it's been a super long time since I've updated this blog. I'm sorry for that. The truth is, when I started this blog as a record of my journey making this film, I realized how much I enjoyed writing in general, and sharing my experiences. At the encouragement of several people, I started a new blog when I returned to Toronto from Kenya. It's one of the things I've been able to focus on developing. I'm enjoying the ability to write about things I find inspiring, including pop, youth and underground culture, some of the very themes explored in Matatu Express.
So what else is new? I'm continuing to work on getting Matatu Express shown in film festivals all over North America. I'm also working on a book version of the making of Matatu Express, and I'm still working on my first documentary Sketched Out. So there will definitely be some exciting things happening in the future, keep the faith and stay tuned!

Kibera Film School Pictures

Just got an email from the Kibera Film School that included some of the following photos, and thought I would share them with you.



Adam of Future Filmmakers directing a scene of short film by children from Kibera. On the scene Aida Achieng of Kibera Film School. The scene was shot in Kibera




Stephen from Kibera TV, helping carry a tripod during the shoot in Kibera of a short film by children of the Future Filmmakers workshop.




Future Filmmakers Adam and Willow facilitators with the children during a visit to Hot Sun Foundation in Kibera.




Belinda, Alice, and Bonface from Kibera Film School mounting the video camera on a tripod working on the Hot Sun Foundation Promotional Video shoot



Kibera Film School Crew working on Hot Sun Foundation Promotional Video Shoot




Susan from Meru, Jeff from Machakos, Alice , Martha , Arnold, Ian and Beryl from Hot Sun Foundation, Jason from Bahati- all participants in The Future Filmmakers Workshop, supported by Hot Sun Foundation and the Kibera Film School.




Adam Loften of the Future Filmmakers Workshop showing Belinda, Josphat and Wyclife of Hot Sun Foundation some tips on using the DSLR 6D camera

Remember, you can support the Kibera Film School by going here:
http://www.globalgiving.org/3632

Second Screening For Matatu Express

A second screening for Matatu Express was held at Kramer's on Yonge Street in Uptown Toronto on Friday December 10. It was a private screening for many of the investors and friends that took part in the fundraiser we did in the summer. Thank you so much for all of you that came and took part. At the end of the screening I took a few questions. It was a great time to re-connect with people and share my experiences with Kibera to many people that were extremely intrigued and inspired by the struggles and accomplishments of Kiberans. It was also great that my editor Agnes Dec, my sound guy Buck Moore, and other editor Chris Wardle were all there to take part. Here are a couple more photos from the event, thanks to my friend Matt Middleton for taking them.

A Message from the Hot Sun Foundation

In the summer I had a fundraiser for Matatu Express to raise funds for the films completion. In other words, although the film had been shot, I needed money to have it edited, sound mixed and colour corrected. I was also able to give a donation with the money to the Hot Sun Foundation, a charity based in Kibera that teaches young people filmmaking skills so that they can tell their own stories. I just recently received an email from then, detailing a recent success story. To read it, and learn how you can help out by making a donation this holiday season, click here.