My Life in Crime, the movie

I am posting here the first of many blogs that will cover the events surrounding the making of the movie My Life in Crime.


This movie is based on the best-selling Kenyan novel of the same name plus more.  It's actually based on three novels written by the famed John Kiriamiti - My Life in Crime, My Life with a Criminal and My Life in Prison.

Almost two years ago I assisted in securing the filming rights to these books from the owner of those rights, East African Educational Publishers in Nairobi, Kenya.  They kindly informed me that My Life in Crime was their best selling novel ever in Kenya.  It has been in print since 1984 and is now in its twelfth printing.  The old records can't be found so the exact number of copies isn't known but we are working hard on getting that information.  Somewhere, in the deep file cabinets of the publisher, are the records we need to verify just how many copies have been sold.

Since the filming rights were secured an adapted screenplay has been written.  Three writers have been involved; Serah Mwihaki, Loyce Kareri and a little bit by me, Neil Schell.  Serah wrote several drafts, which I helped with, then Loyce did as well, which I also helped with.  We now have a script we are all proud of and that is a seriously exceptional script - exceptional like the books.

With screenplay in hand, we could then move forward and get an up-to-date, professional budget done by Jenny Pont here in Nairobi.

These two vital pieces, the screenplay and the budget, allowed us to then draw up a business plan for the movie.  it covers everything from the Executive Summary, to the Synopsis, to the budget and marketing.  This business plan takes the movie My Life in Crime and unleashes it to the world at large. It is our intent to let the world in on one of Kenya's most loved stories ever written in a very big way.  This will be the biggest movie ever to be made in Kenya by a Kenyan production company, Kirina Productions Ltd.

Last week I took our business plan to the DISCOP Africa Convention in Johannesburg, South Africa.  It got gobbled up by a number of strongly interested producers and broadcasters.  Connections are being made and we are on our way to getting the movie financed.

The producing team at this time consists of myself, Janet Kirina and Lucy Chodota who is based near The Hague in Holland.  Janet is cast as Millie and I will be directing the film in addition to our producing duties.

While sourcing out our investors for this exciting project, we are also contacting prospective stars to play in the key roles.  As we secure them, I will be posting their names.  You will be shocked in a good way for sure once they sign on and you will know that we will be doing one of the greatest Kenyan true stories every told due justice for the big screen.

Welcome to the making of My Life in Crime.  Please follow this blog so you get all the details...

Neil Schell
Exec Producer/Director
My Life in Crime, the movie