Nairobi-based production company LBx Africa has launched Bigger Motion, a Pan-African distribution company that promises to “reimagine how African stories travel across the continent and beyond.”
Founded in 2012 by Sam Soko and Bramwel Iro, LBx Africa has produced both fiction and non-fiction projects such as the Oscar-nominated short Watu Wote (All of Us), Softie (Kenya), No Simple Way Home (South Sudan), Matabeleland (Zimbabwe), and Angela Wamai’s upcoming epic neo-Western Enkop (The Soil), currently in development. According to LBx, Bigger Motion is “a natural evolution,” a defining step in the company’s long-term vision of building an independent platform fully dedicated to the acquisition, distribution, and amplification of African films across multiple markets.
Stay ahead of Kenya & East Africa’s film and TV.
Get our stories in your inbox — Subscribe to our newsletter now.
In 2025, Africa has achieved unprecedented representation at major international festivals, from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which featured African stories and talent across its programming, to Venice Film Festival, which saw its largest-ever African presence, with over 20 projects across the festival’s official selection and industry programs. Meanwhile, the Locarno Film Festival launched a four-year, Africa-focused Open Doors cycle running through 2028, and the Red Sea Film Festival continues to expand its support for African projects, which make up 40% of the lineup at its upcoming Red Sea Souk industry market in December.
Yet, despite this surge in global visibility, film distribution within Africa remains one of the continent’s biggest industry challenges, denying audiences access to most of these films, both in their home countries and across borders. According to Akoroko’s report Who’s Buying African Films? Tracking 2025 Festival Deals (From Sundance to Toronto), the vast majority of African films dating back to 2022 are still unavailable to audiences across Africa.
Bigger Motion aims to bridge this gap. Working across markets, the company brings together storytellers from Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Sudan to expand distribution beyond the international festival circuit, leveraging multiple channels such as regional festivals, theatrical releases, streaming platforms, broadcast television, and in-flight entertainment.
They’re also focusing on impact screenings, bringing stories into classrooms, cultural and community spaces to inspire reflection and dialogue. It’s an approach that builds on what Head of Impact and Distribution Chloe Genga was already doing at LBx Africa with films like The Battle for Laikipia. When the 2024 documentary, directed by Toni Kamau and Daphne Matziaraki, premiered in Kenya after its international run, LBx supported screenings in both cinemas and community venues in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa.
“Visibility without access isn’t enough,” Genga, now representing Bigger Motion, says. “We’re building a distribution ecosystem that brings African cinema home, into Cinemas, festivals, living rooms, classrooms, and community spaces, so these stories can spark connection, pride, and change where they matter most.”
Genga is joined by a core team that includes Soko and Iro as Directors, Mbuvi Muthama (Festival Coordinator), Lucky Mwachi (Communications) and Jotham Njoroge (Finance).
Bigger Motion launches with a slate of four documentaries that screened at the 2025 NBO Film Festival: The Shadow Scholars (Kenya, U.K) — directed by Eloise King; Khartoum (Sudan) — directed by Anas Saeed, Rawia Alhag, Ibrahim Snoopy Ahmad & Timeea Mohamed Ahmed; How To Build A Library (Kenya) — directed by Maia Lekow & Christopher King; and Matabeleland (Zimbabwe/Kenya/Canada) — directed by Nyasha Kadandara.
The company plans to expand its Pan-African partnerships, introducing a new slate of films to audiences across the continent and exploring innovative ways to bring cinema closer to communities.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
All reporting, interviews, and reviews on Sinema Focus are protected under international copyright law and the Kenya Copyright Act, 2001. No part of this publication may be reproduced, rewritten, republished, or redistributed in any form by media outlets without prior written consent. For reprint or syndication inquiries, contact editorial@sinemafocus.com.
©️ 2026 Sinema Focus / African Film Press. All rights reserved.
Never miss a moment.
Get the latest stories from Sinema Focus delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter now.
