The Kenya film commission (KFC) has submitted a film, Kati Kati by local filmmaker Mbithi Muasya to the 90^thacademy awards (Oscars) in the category Best Foreign Language Film.

Kati Kati was nominated for the Oscars by the Kenya Oscars selection committee after they received two films following calls for entries by KFC. The other film that had been submitted alongside Kati Kati is called Kidnapped, a film about a jilted lover’s revenge.

“After consideration of all the strengths and weaknesses of both film entries, the Oscars Selection Committee Kenya hereby confirms that it has selected Kati Kati as the Kenyan submission to the 90th Academy Awards (Oscars) in the category of Best Foreign Language Film,” the committee said.

The nominees for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced by the Academy on 23rd January 2018

Kati Kati Film Synopsis

Kati Kati revolves around a young woman Kaleche  (Nyokabi Gethaiga) who without any recollection of what happened before, finds herself in the middle of the wilderness. She makes her way to Kati Kati, a nearby lodge, where she meets a motley crew of residents under the leadership of Thoma.

The film is a Kenyan-German co-production between Ginger Ink and Tom Tykwer and Marie Steinmann’s One Fine Day Films, who received the Honorary Award of the German Film Academy’s First Steps Prize on September 19, 2016.

Rushlake Media, a German outfit which is a specialist in digital distribution with a focus on African market acquired KATI KATI for world sales. 

Kati Kati is also scheduled to screen at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival on October 23.

In 2016, Kati Kati, won the Federation of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Discovery Award at the just-concluded Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

The academy of motion picture arts and sciences (Oscars) opened up the foreign language categories to individual country participation through a selection committee. Each country is therefore required to present a select team to carry out this task through the various film commissions.

The Oscar Selection Committee Kenya 

The Kenya Film Commission formed the Oscar Selection Committee Kenya On 1st August 2017 to serve for a term of 3 years via the mandate given to by the Academy Awards Organizers. Their duty is to view entries and select the ONE entry to represent the country for the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. The committee is also mandated to select the Country entries to the Best Foreign Language Documentary and Best Foreign Language Animation.