| Intellectual Scum | |
| Director: | Njue Kevin |
| Screenplay: | Njue Kevin |
| Story: | Field Ruwe |
| Starring: | Jason Corder Patrick Oketch |
| Cinematography: | Jim Bishop |
| Editing: | Daniel Kent |
| Country: | Kenya |
| Producer: | Bill Jones Afwani Phoebe Ruguru |
| Runtime: | 15 minutes |
| Studio: | Rocque Pictures |
Intellectual Scum is a 2015 Kenyan short film directed by Njue Kevin. Produced by Rocque Pictures, the film is an adaptation of the controversial article 'You Lazy (Intellectual) African Scum!' [1] by Field Ruwe, a USA based Zambian media practitioner.
On board a commercial airplane, an African intellectual (Field Ruwe), sits next to a white man (Walter). In their conversation, which is utterly brutal, honest and to some racist, Walter blames the ‘Intellectuals’ for the deplorable state Africa was in.[2]
Principal photography on the film began on 15 November 2015 and ended on 20 November 2015. The plane sequence on the film was shot on an actual plane at Wilson airport as opposed to creating a set on a sound stage.
The director, Njue Kevin, on this decision said, "We would have used twice the budget on a set other than the actual airport. When on a shoestring budget, you have to do what you have to do."
Intellectual Scum has been met with widespread critical acclaim. Screening in three continents across the globe, critics across the east African region plod it as being the most successful short film in the history of film in Kenya.
It has screened at the following festivals thus far: