Jinna Mutune

Mutune grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, in a middle-class family{{Cite web|url = http://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/profiles-strategies/2014/06/how-kenyan-director-jinna-mutune-fought.html?page=all|title = How Kenyan director Jinna Mutune fought stereotypes and failure to bring her feature film to life|date = 3 June 2014|access-date = 27 November 2015|website = Biz Women|publisher = Biz Journals|last = Lyons|first = Julie}} in Eastland's Kimathi Estate.{{Cite news|url = http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle/article/2000075824/the-reel-jinna|title = The Reel Jinna|last = Genga|first = Shirley|date = 25 January 2013|work = Standard Media Kenya|access-date = 27 November 2015}} She studied at the South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance and also studied film in the United States.{{Cite news|url=http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/kenyas-top-6-filmmakersproducers-to-watch-jinna-mutune/ |title=Kenya's Top 6 Filmmakers/Producers to Watch: Jinna Mutune |last=Opar |first=Josephine |date=8 August 2013 |work=Up Nairobi |access-date=27 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208173108/http://www.upnairobi.com/dt_portfolio/kenyas-top-6-filmmakersproducers-to-watch-jinna-mutune/ |archive-date= 8 December 2015 }}{{Cite news|url = http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle/article/2000071170/launch-of-leo-the-movie|title = Launch of Leo the Movie|date = 21 November 2012|work = Standard Media Kenya|access-date = 27 November 2015}} After film school in South Africa, she went back to Kenya for a while and then moved to the U.S., living in Boston, Houston and California. Mutune states that she knew she wanted to be a filmmaker at age sixteen and by that time had also been directing plays at church and at her school.

Mutune is the director of Leo, a story told through the eyes of a Maasai boy who wants to live out his dreams.{{Cite web|url = http://crawfurd.dk/video/jinnamutune.php|title = Meet Jinna Mutune, The Kenyan Director of 'Leo'|access-date = 27 November 2015|website = The Crawfurd Homepage|last = Crawfurd|first = Jacob|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150105072936/http://crawfurd.dk/video/jinnamutune.php|archive-date = 5 January 2015|url-status = dead}} Leo was her first feature film and it was also funded by her own production company, Pegg Entertainment, with cinematography by Abraham Martinez. Leo premiered in Nairobi in April 2011, but only to small venues: the film debuted on the "big screen" in Kenya in November 2012.{{Cite news|url = http://www.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/showbiz/Kenyan-movie-Leo-in-US/-/1950810/2258478/-/r6ms0g/-/index.html|title = Kenyan movie "Leo" airs in US|last = Karanja|first = Antony|date = 26 March 2014|work = Daily Nation|access-date = 27 November 2015}} The U.S. premiere of Leo was well received by Kenyans and Americans, and Mutune appeared on Kenya TV to discuss the film.{{Cite web|url = http://www.kenyatv.net/index.php/shows/capital-talk?jut1=2|title = Capital Talk|access-date = 27 November 2015|website = Kenya TV|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208052211/http://www.kenyatv.net/index.php/shows/capital-talk?jut1=2|archive-date = 8 December 2015|url-status = dead}} Mutune also organized a business deal with the airlines Kenya Airways and Emirates, to show Leo in-flight.{{Cite news|url = http://mobile.nation.co.ke/business/Multichoice-Changing-fortunes-of-Kenya-filmmakers/-/1950106/2519930/-/format/xhtml/-/69nriiz/-/index.html|title = Changing Fortune for Kenya's Film-Makers|date = 12 November 2014|work = Daily Nation|access-date = 27 November 2015|archive-date = 9 July 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190709011417/https://mobile.nation.co.ke/business/Multichoice-Changing-fortunes-of-Kenya-filmmakers/-/1950106/2519930/-/format/xhtml/-/69nriiz/-/index.html|url-status = dead}} She also directed the film Chep, which was also produced by Pegg Entertainment.{{Cite news|url = http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/chep-film-press-score-cocktail|title = 'Chep' Film Press Score Cocktail|last = Muchura|first = Jeri|date = 23 September 2015|work = The Star|access-date = 27 November 2015|archive-date = 8 December 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208070315/http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/chep-film-press-score-cocktail|url-status = dead}} Chep, a movie about a female marathon runner, set in the 1970s and celebrating women and the men who support them, will be released in 2016.{{Cite news|url = http://mobile.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/New-Kenyan-movie-on-plight-of-female-athletes-in-the-works/-/1950774/2927580/-/format/xhtml/item/1/-/qiugxi/-/index.html|title = New Kenyan Movie on Plight of Female Athletes in the Works|last = Owoko|first = Anyiko|date = 24 October 2015|work = Daily Nation|access-date = 27 November 2015|archive-date = 9 July 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190709011412/https://mobile.nation.co.ke/lifestyle/New-Kenyan-movie-on-plight-of-female-athletes-in-the-works/-/1950774/2927580/-/format/xhtml/item/1/-/qiugxi/-/index.html|url-status = dead}} In addition to her feature films, she has also produced the music video for the Kenyan Official Olympic score (2012) and worked with Graça Machel on a public service announcement.{{Cite web|url = http://www.spla.pro/en/file.person.jinna-mutune.43326.html|title = Jinna Mutune|access-date = 27 November 2015|website = South Planet}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150105072936/http://crawfurd.dk/video/jinnamutune.php Interview with Jinna Mutune] (video)
• [https://vimeo.com/19296552 I Am African: Jinna Mutune] (video)
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGOACQRA2SI Jinna Mutune discusses 'Leo'] (video)

{{Authority control}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mutune, Jinna}}

Category:Living people

Category:Kenyan film producers

Category:Kenyan women film directors

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Place of birth missing (living people)

Category:Kenyan film directors