Best time to film Kenya?

Best time to film Kenya? Kenya sits on the equator so it’s never really too hot or too cold in Nairobi. The long rains come in March and April and the short rains come in October and November. Best to avoid planning any shoot during the rainy season if the script is weather specific. The long rains can be very intense with power outages and travel delays common during that time. The Great Migration is best photographed in the late dry season when animals congregate around water sources. For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Kenyan festivals and events of interest to filmmakers and photographers include:
• Lake Turkana Festival in May / June.
• Maulidi Festival in May / June on Lamu Island.
• International Camel Derby Festival in August just outside of Maralal.
• Mombasa Carnival in November.
• Lamu Cultural Festival in November.

Top tip: For Filmmakers seeking to capture amazing sceneries, the wet season might be the best time to shoot your project. During this time, the vegetation is greener and wildlife is scattered- not confined to particular water points.

Contact us about your film project, and we will advise on where and when it is the Best time to film Kenya?

Filming in Kenya

For an introduction to filming in Kenya, see below notes on film locations, permits, costs, tax incentives, equipment, visas and work permits for filming, transport, film-friendly accommodation .Contact us about your film project, and we will advise on where and when it is the Best time to film in Kenya.

 Necessary requirements to film in Kenya

You will need to get a filming permit from Kenya Film Commission for you to be allowed to film in Kenya. In order to obtain a Filming Permit, one must write a letter requesting for the permit and fill an application form which must be accompanied by a copy of the screenplay, a story synopsis and a shooting schedule. These should be sent to the Film Licensing Officer, Kenya Film Commission. Filming permit for features, documentaries, short films, music videos, corporate videos and commercials are issued within minutes of application. Applications for TV Series and full-length feature films are processed in less than 48 hours of application. Contact us about your film project, and we will advise on where and when it is the Best time to film in Kenya?

Filming fees and costs in National Parks

The following charges are applied for any filming in Nairobi National Park in Kenya:

• Ksh. 8, 000 ($80) for five (5) people for one (1) week or part thereof.

• Ksh. 12, 000 ($115) for six (6) – ten (10) people for one (1) week or part thereof.

• Ksh. 20, 000 ($200) for more than ten (10) people for one (1) week or part thereof.

Kenya Filming Fees for Nairobi City

a) Filming rates

• Adverts, documentaries, dramas, short features; still photographs KSHS 5,000 ($50)
• Full-length feature films, TV series KSHS 15,000 ($150)
• Daily filming fees KSHS 1,000 ($10)

b) Liaison Officer’s service charges

The Ministry charges Ksh. 400 ($5) per day to cover Liaison Officer’s services provided by a government Liaison Officer to be attached to the crew.

c) Other charges

• Each visitor is required to pay Ksh. 2,000 ($20) to the Immigration Department for a special pass before engaging in any film shooting. The crew may however, arrive in Kenya on a visitor’s pass while the filming special pass is being processed. We recommend you travel after all the filming paper work has been arranged to avoid inconveniences.
• For all filming equipment, a nominal non-refundable fee of 1% of the value of the equipment or Ksh 30,000 ($300) whichever is less is payable to the Customs Department on presentation of a film license.

On top of the above you will need to cover accommodation, transport and others for a successful shoot as below;

Kenya Press Accreditation

All film crew members are by law supposed to be accredited by the Kenya Film Commission. Local filming agents and Private production companies or individuals are requested to submit their applications through a local agent registered with the ministry. This requirement is mandatory for all applications to make feature films or documentaries in Kenya. Each crew member is required to fill a Kenya Film License Form (which we normally send to you) with all details, scan and send it back to us with a copy of his/her passport as well as one photograph to be put on his/her filming license. On top of this, we will need a letter from the filming company detailing who they are, why they are filming, where they will be filming and details of crew members on this shoot. We will attach this letter to all details provided and send them to Kenya Film Commission for film license processing. This takes 2-3 working days to have these film licenses ready.

Visa Advice arriving in Nairobi

All crew members are required to apply for the Kenya Travel Authorization and the Kenya work permit for you to be allowed to film in Kenya.

Vehicle Hire Services in Nairobi

Film Fixer in Kenya will help you organize transport for film crews to film in Kenya depending on their interest, budget and the nature of roads in such selected locations to film in the park. We recommend Customized 4×4 Land Cruisers which costs from USD200-250 per vehicle per day with Driver/Fixer or 4×4 Safari Vans from USD200 per Van per day with driver/Fixer. For us to estimate how much it will cost in terms of fuel, we will need to look at your filming schedule to establish mileage and distance to be travelled. We also organize both charter and schedule air transport for those that need to fly in order to reduce on the number of hours.

Accommodation in Kenya.

Lodge options to stay in during filming in Kenya range from Budget, mid-range to luxury options. You will choose what to stay in depending on your interests and budget. Contact us here for details.

Why use Eco Film Fixers to film in Kenya

Eco Film Fixers Kenya, we assist filming companies and Production agencies in Kenya and East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Congo) as a whole for the last 8 years. We handle all fixer services required with our professional team of local fixers and driver guides. We have all relevant connections with other service providers and government agencies to make sure that accreditation and filming permits are processed in the shortest time possible. Contact us about your film project, and we will advise on where and when it is the Best time to film in Kenya?