Newsletter January 2006

JANUARY 2006

Deviating from our normal line of work, at the end of June, Pontact coordinated the staging of the CNN Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Awards at Safari Park Hotel. It was the first time in 10 years that this event has been held outside of South Africa, a great honour for Kenya, as it also marked the 25th Anniversary year of CNN. Instrumental in bringing the show to Kenya was old friend and colleague, Mark West, who last worked with Jenny in 1993 on the live broadcast of the URTNA Awards. Mark has gone on to be the most sought after Producer of extravaganza’s such as numerous Miss South Africa and Miss World pageants, and the Opening Ceremony of the Cricket World Cup in South Africa.

DOCUMENTARIES

Co-inciding with the CNN event was the return of Faith Landmarks Ministries from Richmond, Virginia, for their annual All Faiths Crusade, this time being held in Nairobi.
This year’s documentary crews have come mostly from Canada and France, the most interesting being “The Great Savannah Race” whose intention was to collar seven wildebeeste in Serengeti and track their progress on the Migration to Masai Mara. TANAPA refused them permission to tranquilize the animals in Tanzania and so, “no problem”, they would track them from Kenya to Tanzania. The wildebeest began their return Migration on time, then decided it was too soon and turned back to finish off the grass in the Mara. It promises to be a very interesting story.

We are proud to be associated with both National Geographic and History Channels, the latter for whom we filmed some interviews. In November we assisted Al Is On Production and Saunders Darrow Smithson of London in re-constructing the Nairobi Bomb Blast for the National Geographic series “Seconds from Disaster”, with all the interior scenes being shot in Pontact’s offices.

“DIE WEISSE MASSAI”

At the invitation of Constantin Film, Jenny and Ben went to Munich to attend the premiere of Die Weisse Massai on 8th September. They stayed for a week and met many film friends both old and new. It is a beautiful and dramatic film and shows Kenya and the Samburu tribespeople at their most stunning. It was selected for a Gala screening at the Toronto Film Festival and we hope there will soon be a US distributor for the English sub-titled version.
Meanwhile, ticket sales in Germany have reached the 2.2 million mark and still climbing.

KENYA FILM COMMISSION

Setting up the first Kenya Film Commission has been a labour of love and worthy of its own "making of" documentary. Hopefully, a CEO will be in place in the first 2 weeks of January, 2006, and then we can start acting on the myriad of tasks awaiting us. In the recent Cabinet re-shuffle which followed the Referendum for a new Constitution, we acquired a new Minister of Information & Communications and Permanent Secretary who both have a refreshingly helpful and enthusiastic approach to the film industry. Let us hope we can deliver in 2006.

ROBERT REISS-ANDERSEN
1953-2005

Robert joined Pontact as our overseas Consultant only two years ago and his advice and input to Pontact Productions has been invaluable. He came to Kenya in October, as usual, at short notice “I’m arriving on Thursday, can I borrow some wheels?” and very independent. He fell ill but said he preferred to wait till he felt well enough to travel back to Italy and be treated by his own doctors. Well, this never happened. He collapsed, necessitating major surgery followed by a week in ICU at the Aga Khan Hospital. He was out of ICU and, against all odds, making an amazing recovery when he suddenly died of a cardiac arrest on 8th November, 2005. A fine Producer and Director, he will be missed by all his friends and colleagues in Kenya.

OUR OFFICES

Pontact Productions EPZ Ltd has been based at Rafiki Industrial Park for just over a year now, although "The White Masai" production office was at Baraka Studios and "Winterreise" worked out of Panafric Hotel.

Our permanent staff consists of Jenny Pont, James Munga (Accountant), Joram Njenga (Asst.Accountant), Michael Karanja (Transport), and Yusuf Duale (PA/Driver).

OUR OFFICES

Email:
pontact@africaonline.co.ke

Pontact Productions EPZ Limited
Rafiki EPZ Industrial Park
Outer Ring road
P.O. Box 64918
00620 Nairobi,
Kenya

Telephone Numbers

Office switchboard +254-20-8562386
Office direct landline: +254-20-6752166
Office mobile +254-720 030870
Jenny direct +254-20-8561463
Office fax +254-20 8562133

Cellphones

Jenny +254-733 602431 or +254-722 221179
Joram +254-724 334110 or +254-735 836560
Maggie +254-720 796998 or +254-737 227037
Michael Karanja +254-727 107700 or 0735 107700
Yusuf +254-722 213667
Naomi +254-721 884749