Brian Wekesa Takes Kenyan Hoops To The Big Screen With The Dubbed Film ”Jay”
JAY is a short film about a young ambitious basketball player from the local slums determined to turn his passion for the game into a professional career.
Every cloud has a silver lining as they say. This is the narrative of Brian Wekesa, the brains behind the Hoops and the Talent. Brian, in December last year pulled off a successful premiere of JAY in the county of Bungoma after tarrying to get it all together. The busy cinematographer had a moment to share his ” JAY ”experience
”I wrote the JAY script back in April 2020 with hope that one day I might be able to fund the production of the film but unfortunately I never did!”
Who is Brian Wekesa?
Brian Wekesa is a passionate filmmaker, photographer and motion graphics designer born and raised in Bungoma, Kenya but currently residing in Eldoret. He’s also a final year Media student at Moi University School of Information Science pursuing a Bachelor in Media Science.
How did you diverge yourself into filmmaking and photography art?
I have always had a burning desire to express myself through art. Growing up, I was fascinated by pictures and art. I picked up a deep interest in both photography and filmmaking during my second year on campus after being involved in the making of a class project film. My interest in the photography field is also related to my upbringing since my dad and two of my uncles were photographers hence it’s in my family. One of my uncles still does photography to date and he serves as an inspiration to me.
In a nutshell, what is Jay is all about?
JAY is a short film about a young ambitious basketball player from the local slums determined to turn his passion for the game into a professional career. Along the way, he gets tangled in drug abuse and peddling. This ends up ruining his only chance to play on the National team. Jay is a reflection of the society. It showcases what many young people go through in our generation; especially those in the sports sector or those trying to develop a career out of their talent.
What was the inspiration behind the writing of Jay?
I wrote the script because I felt the need to portray the struggles to the world. It gives an understanding of the youth situation in Kenya and the continent.
Brian Wekesa-Producer and Writer of JAY
How did you source the casts? Take me through the process.
An audition process was done. We conducted two thorough auditions and were able to get the cast we needed. However, the lead role (Jay) was a great challenge as we needed a guy who is a good actor and can play basketball as well.
Why did you take up the role as a producer?
JAY is my project hence I wanted to oversee its production. I didn’t want to take any chances of delegating the entire production to someone who did not understand what the project meant to me. I wanted to give it all the necessary attention it needed.
How did you end up working with the Kenya Film Commission?
The Kenya Film Commission is a body that was created by the national government. Its sole purpose is not only to promote the film industry in the country but also to support and nurture talent. I got to work with the commission after winning a grant under their third Film Empowerment Cycle. This is among their initiatives that are meant to support creatives in the filmmaking industry. The initiative has been in place since 2020 and happens annually. Application calls are always posted on their official social media pages.
Any advice to an aspiring filmmaker?
Any aspiring filmmaker out there needs to start creating films from whatever resources they have at the moment. They should not wait for opportunities to knock or blame the lack of resources to create. Start from where you are . The universe will adjust and make a path for you. A rolling stone gathers no mass.
What would you tell Brian Wekesa?
To keep creating; more stories need to be told. This is just the beginning of a vibrant filmmaking career.
”It is a rare combination of talents,” is how Brian perceives the lead role in Jay as the requirement was strong acting skills as well as proficiency in basketball. Brian shares strongly that JAY is his film and as he put it ”child project” going ahead to take charge in ensuring its success. JAY is yet to be distributed online due to pending planned screenings.
