Hollywood mega superstar Leonardo Di Caprio is set to visit Kenya in the near future according to CS of the Ministry for Youth Affairs, Sports and The Arts Ababu Namwamba.
According to the CS, the Academy-award-winning actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio is set to film his next project in the country but didn’t share much about the project.
Namwamba, who spoke during the finals of the Elijah Lidonde Football Tournament for Under-15 and Under-17 girls, stated that Leonardo DiCaprio’s visit is an opportunity to promote local tourist attractions to an international audience and to educate, motivate, and encourage the local film industry.
He said some scenes will be filmed in Kisumu, Kakamega and Migori counties.
He also mentioned that the government has made concessions to make the partnership easier, including a tax rebate of up to 20% of the total film budget, waiving taxes on shooting equipment, and improving visa issuance for the crew.
The production budget of the movie has been estimated at Sh2.4 billion.
“There are certain things we have put on the table for them. As part of the asks was a tax rebate of upto 20 percent of the total film budget or in the alternative 30 percent of the total Kenyan spend. We have calculated the figures. If it’s 10 percent of the total film budget that will be about Sh280 million in terms of rebate. We have placed that before treasury,” said Ababu.
“They have also asked for easier entry of the shooting equipment. You realise that in the past it has been difficult for you to even clear the equipment to come here for shooting. We have made arrangements with custom tax to waive those taxes on the equipment. We have also asked the department of immigration to have a better regime in terms of visa issuance to the crew coming for the shoot.”
This news comes days after Namwamba emphasized the importance of nurturing the Kenyan film industry as a crucial pillar for preserving the country’s culture.
DiCaprio, who is known for his role in films such as Titanic, The Revenant, and The Wolf of Wall Street, is the founder of his own production company, Appian Way Productions, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on environmental awareness.
