Kalasha Award for Best Original Screenplay
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| Kalasha Award for Best Original Screenplay | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Best original, non-adapted script demonstrating strong story structure, dialogue, and creativity |
| Country | Kenya |
| Presented by | Kenya Film Commission |
| First award | June 2009 |
| Most recent winner | Matt Black, Where the River Divides (2024) |
| Website | kalashaawards |
The Kalasha Award for Best Original Screenplay (sometimes referred to as Best Scriptwriter in Original Screenplay or Best Scriptwriter) is an annual award presented by the Kenya Film Commission as part of the Kalasha International Film & TV Awards. It recognizes the writer or writing team of a feature or short film that demonstrates exceptional originality, narrative structure and thematic depth in a script not based on previously published material.[1]
Established at the inaugural ceremony in 2009, the award is one of the most critical technical honors, celebrating the foundational blueprints of Kenyan cinema.
The recent recipient is Matt Black for the film Where the River Divides at the 13th edition held in 2024.[2]
Finalists for this category are identified through a rigorous script analysis conducted by the Kalasha Academy, a vetted committee of screenwriters, literature professors and industry critics. The panel scrutinizes the entries for character development, dialogue authenticity, pacing and the creative handling of universal themes within a Kenyan context.
The award is determined by a weighted voting system: 70% of the score is derived from the academy's technical assessment, while 30% is contributed by the public. This ensures that the honored script represents both high literary standards and widespread audience resonance.[3]