Kenya International Film Festival Announces 2012 Dates, Theme

This will be the first year that we actually cover this festival; not that any of us is traveling to Kenya for the festival, but we'll be following it much closer than we have in the past 3 years. And I just might have someone over there write up a few film reviews and overall reactions to the festival.

Now in its 7th year, the Kenya International Film Festival has announced that its 2012 event will run for 10 days, from October 24 to November 3, with screenings to be done in Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Eldoret.

This year's theme is "World Classics."

Last year’s festival saw a record 360 films screened at the festival (selected from over 600 entries from 57 countries), including the internationally acclaimed drama, The First Grader. And thus far, with submissions still being accepted until the end of August, 200 films have already been selected for the 2012 festival, according to KIFF executive director Charles Asiba.

That's a lot of films, and I'm wondering how they are able to screen them all within a 10-day period, and the preparation and logistics involved.

"I am very happy to announce the start of the preparations for the 2012 edition of KIFF. The overwhelming support that we’ve received from filmmakers is proof that KIFF has come of age and is testament to Kenya's growing influence in film in Africam," Asiba said in a statement.

No word on who might show up for this year's festival; last year, Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka was in attendance.

When the official lineup is revealed, we'll have that for you here.