FILM & THEATRE

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, five women find themselves trapped inside forbidden temple grounds where they face a deadly choice.

The awards celebrated the best of Kenyan theatre, recognising outstanding performances, productions and craft from 2025.

Rooted in theatre, Millicent Ogutu's directorial debut examines how communication and conflict shape the life cycle of a relationship.

With his current and future projects, the Ugandan filmmaker has shifted his creative process towards writing.

Directors Wangondu and Brown reflect on colonial land dispossession, inherited silence and the possibility of justice.

The play blends liturgical service and theatre in an emotional and sincere portrait of marriage.

Too Early for Birds’ 'Wangarĩ Maathai', 'It Takes Two', 'Redemption', and 'Followers' are among the theatre shows staging in 2026.

A hardened taxi driver confronts trauma, survival and identity in the unforgiving rhythms of Lagos.

The South African examines how Nelson Mandela's politics continue to resonate in contemporary struggles.

Journalist and co-director Bea Wangondu confronts land dispossession, family history, and the lasting impact of colonial injustice.

The duo portray a Nairobi couple unraveling under the weight of marriage.

In this exclusive interview, the actress talks about landing her role in 'A Quiet Place: Day One' and her next high-profile film 'Call Me Queen.'

From features and shorts to TV series, here’s a running list of Kenyan films and TV shows to anticipate in 2026.

Kenya's 'Memory of Princess Mumbi' and Nigeria’s 'My Father’s Shadow' are among our critics' best African films of the year.

From gutsy liturgical dramas to poetic solo acts, our theatre critic Tonny Ogwa picks his top 5 Kenyan stage plays of 2025.

Tosh Gitonga's 'Inside Job' selected as the opening film.

Kenyan comedy project about a tech billionaire who upends a rural village with free money, wins the Red Sea Souk Series Award

As Gathoni, Nungari Kiore, Gathoni Mutua, Renee Gichuki, Joan Cherono and Ellah Maina capture the fragmented psychological journey of GBV survivors.

Kenyan documentary feature 'Truck Mama' will premiere in competition alongside Somalia’s 'Barni', plus more.

The four musical artists will each play Nyokabi's young love interest Jonte, and another pivotal role from her past.

The play delivers an ambitious vision of AI, fear, agency and a collapsing future in a striking one-woman performance.

Nigerian filmmaker C.J. Obasi on 'Mami Wata’s' success, his new project 'La Pyramide' and move to Rwanda.

'Milisuthando' remains undeniably a film of bold, searching ideas, full of unresolved beauty.

A young couple grapples with trauma in this Kenyan psychological thriller from Allan Bosire.

The producer-screenwriter-performer speaks on craft and the making of 'Free Me', her one-woman play confronting gender-based violence.

The 40-minute documentary takes viewers beyond the viral videos of dance group Masaka Kids Africana.

The Ugandan-American actor, documentarian and photographer reflects on art, identity, and the power of returning home through storytelling.

An unflinching account of Kenya’s year-long uprising that defined 2024.

The film is directed by two-time Oscar-winner Ben Proudfoot, and executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama.

A chance encounter with a photographer becomes a testament to the power of memory, and a reminder of what it means to honour a legacy.

A family reunion turns into a chilling nightmare of deep-rooted secrets, buried resentments, and inherited trauma.

The captures the tenderness of family and the quiet turbulence of a country on the edge of change.

Benson returns to the community torn apart by the 2014 abductions, documenting the mothers who continue to live, work and hope.

Three Ivorian women and a little girl navigate racism, faith, and belonging in Tunisia.

In this hybrid documentary directed by five filmmakers, memory and imagination converge to rebuild a city’s identity.

A Sudanese immigrant struggles to survive in Cairo in Morad Mostafa’s feature debut.

The film stands as a vital and deeply affecting work that documents a lingering legacy that continues to define South African life.

Ultimately, the film feels like both recognition and reconciliation, bridging the distance between generations.

The film aspires to be a bold, unflinching portrait of the disenfranchised.

Two women work to restore one of Nairobi's most iconic libraries, and a former whites-only space.

Everything in 'The Voice of Hind Rajab,' is choreographed from lived trauma.

The week-long event features 47 screenings with a lineup that includes 33 films from 15 African countries, presented at seven venues along the scenic Kilifi Creek.

Kadandara's films, those already released and those still forthcoming, do not seem to educate politely; they ambush.

The 10-day festival returns for its 6th edition with a strong lineup that includes Kenya's 'How to Build a Library' as opening film, and Nigeria's first Cannes Official Selection 'My...

The play refuses to offer solutions, instead, it dramatises the persistent, systemic nature of the issues it lays bare.

"We’re not here to do 'small African films.' We’re here to create cinema that competes on the world stage.”

Set in 2093, the story follows a love triangle between a film director, an aspiring actress and a prince.

AISFM aims to give African short films visibility, value, and a sustainable marketplace.

'Nome' was one of 13 African films screened in the inaugural Africa-focused Open Doors section at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival.

A troupe of misfit dancers, led by a fearless frontman, try to figure their way through life amid the chaotic and unfiltered slavery of modern Lagos.

The feature is written and directed by Tony Koros, and produced by Toni Kamau and Louise Kamwangi.

The prize will debut at the Surreal16 Film Festival (S16) in Lagos, Nigeria, taking place in December 2025.

Memory of Princess Mumbi becomes the first-ever Kenyan feature selected in the Giornate degli Autori section.

When Shula stumbles upon her uncle’s body, the funeral unravels buried abuse and family secrets.

Wakio Mzenge delivers a spellbinding one-woman performance that explores love, loss and identity.

A standout ensemble powers the revival of Kithaka wa Mberia's Kifo Kisimani despite issues with tone and pacing.

Kenyan producer June Wairegi on Locarno Open Doors and redefining how African films are made and distributed.

This documentary explores how brilliant minds from Global South countries like Kenya power the billion-dollar ghostwriting industry.

Edi Gathegi's turn as Mr. Terrific in James Gunn’s superhero blockbuster opens new possibilities.

The siblings will play twins Viola and Sebastian, the first time they'll be sharing a stage together.

Trevor Sagide's psychological horror short unravels a disturbing tale of captivity disguised as love.

Stuart Nash’s revival brings fresh urgency to the 1976 classic play by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Micere Mugo.

We unpack the strategy behind Kenya’s biggest film premiere and the business thinking of those who made it happen.

This tender documentary explores fatherhood, masculinity, love, and legacy across Zimbabwe and Botswana.

The play resists easy answers, dismantling simplistic narratives and urging the audience to reckon with Kenya’s complex legacy of justice, power, and impunity.

Cassandra Onwualu on how the new Pan-African film distribution initiative wants to take African films across borders.

This documentary honours the pain and power of the women at its centre and brings to light conversations that urgently need to be amplified.

In 2024, the festival announced a four-year focus on African cinema for its 2025 to 2028 cycle.

Ouma delivers one of the boldest and most emotionally honest solo acts on Kenya's stage.

Tonny Ogwa reflects on Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s impact on political theatre, resistance and African storytelling.

ChemiChemi brings rebellious biblical women to life with bold theatrical flair

The founder of Filmmakers Hangout is building peer networks and reshaping access and distribution in Kenya’s film industry.

This documentary explores the repatriation of Beninese artifacts and the meaning of return.

Director Lawrence Murage shares how they're bringing the fiery Kikuyu chief to life.

From swoony fantasies to sobering realities, African filmmakers are exploring love through the lens of class and culture.

The stage play follows seven notorious women from the bible.

This 2024 Nigerian film delivers political urgency and visual beauty, even if its narrative at times falters under the weight of its message.

Tracing Kenya's long-standing tension between the state and the stage.

'Widow Champion' is a story about land rights in rural Kenya, while 'The Shadow Scholars' follows Kenya's ghostwriting economy and academic fraud.

Sayari is a charming Kenyan rom-com that leans on strong chemistry from its leads to deliver a feel-good love story.

Nice Githinji’s journey from actor to intimacy coordinator and film curator who is reshaping Kenya’s cinema culture through Boma Film Nights.

On World Theatre Day 2025, we celebrate Kenyan theatre—from its roots and resistance to its bold voice for truth and justice today

Tonny Ogwa calls for a bold reinvention of Kenyan cinema grounded in cultural identity, originality, and artistic vision.

Inspired by Christopher Nolan and M. Night Shyamalan, emerging Kenyan filmmaker Trevor Sagide explores the mind and the unknown.

This stage play is a witty, avant-garde Kenyan comedy about love, crime, and chaos.

Visually striking yet frustratingly hollow, this film explores Kenyan culture with an emotional depth that remains just out of reach.

Four short films explore stories on bodily autonomy, justice and self-discovery among young people.

Kitale Film Week founder Peter Pages Bwire on building Kitale's film culture and the need for industry investment beyond Nairobi.

The film boldly showcases the potential of Kenyan cinema through genre diversity and innovative techniques.

From Philit Productions, the film spares no detail in depicting the psychological and physical toll of abuse.

The actress reflects on her journey and the industry as she prepares to celebrate her decade-long acting career with an ambitious showcase.

Sketchy Africans charms with humour and a lovable ensemble, delivering laughs despite its narrative flaws.

Too Early for Birds examines the triumphs, flaws and enduring legacy of Tom Mboya with an unflinching look at history, balancing tragedy with humour.

The film's initial premise, though familiar, was ripe for unique exploration, but like '40 Sticks' before it, it seems obsessed with delivering its final twist at the expense of the...

The Kenyan-actor-turned-sailor discusses why he joined US Navy, his big dreams and why acting remains his first love.

Billed as an East African romcom, The Christmas Run is a romantic comedy about love, loss and friendship.

Satire meets local politics in Molière's Kenyan adaptation 'Mgonjwa Mwitu'.

This documentary follows Wanjugu Kimathi's quest to find the remains of her father, legendary freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi.

This documentary explores Kenya's land conflict through the eyes of a young boy, blending personal grief with broader societal issues.

Charming and full of whimsy, this film thrives on a rhythmic cultural sensitivity that works despite its imperfections.