‘Nairobi Half Life’,  a film about a young aspiring actor from the countryside of Kenya who dreams of becoming an accomplished actor one day. It shows how he survives once he makes his way to the city in pursuit of his dream.

The film has been submitted for entry into the Best Foreign-Language Film category, according to the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Directed by David “Tosh” Gitonga,  it will compete with films from 70 other countries for the five nominations in this category.

In submitting “Nairobi Half Life” to the Academy, the Kenya Oscars Selection Committee said last month, “It is clear from this film that the Kenya Film Industry has the capacity to make movies that can compete on a global platform.” This is a major milestone for the Kenyan movie industry and could help build the fledgling Kenyan movie industry.

The film already won an award at the Durban Film Festival in July for Best Actor (Joseph Wairimu).