Phil Karanja, Ken Ambani make it to Hollywood

Kenyan filmmakers Phil Karanja and Ken Ambani will participate in the American Film Showcase (AFS) Film & TV Leadership Initiative Program across multiple US cities from October 9-23, 2024.

Alongside Kunle Afolayan and Bolanle Austen-Peters, they will travel to Los Angeles, Washington, Virginia and Atlanta where they will interact with other top filmmakers.

As part of the initiative program, Karanja and Ambani are also expected to lead a panel at the Middleburg Film Festival in Virginia and interact with studio leaders in Atlanta.

Elated with his latest milestone, Karanja took to social media to share snippets of his tour with the caption, “Hollywood, it's been a long time coming.”

The initiative is part of a broader effort by the U.S. Department of State to support the creative economy in Africa and promote collaboration between American and African film industries.

Each year, AFS works with U.S. Embassies to feature American films abroad, organizing filmmaker exchanges to engage with international audiences and conduct workshops for emerging filmmakers.

The program also offers international filmmakers opportunities to visit the U.S. to participate in residencies and film festivals, providing them with valuable networking opportunities with industry professionals, including producers, mentors, and distributors.

Recently, the initiative hosted key figures from Africa's animation industry in Los Angeles for a weeklong professional training program.

The 14 participants in this exchange program were directors of the Disney+ animated sci-fi anthology Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, which was showcased in four African countries in partnership with U.S. Embassies. The popularity of the series led to two of its directors receiving nominations for the Annie Awards.