After a three-year hiatus, the NBO Film Festival is back with a strong lineup that includes critically acclaimed feature films and shorts from Kenya and around the world. The festival which will run from 17 October to 27 October has selected Kenyan documentaries The Battle for Laikipia and Our Land, Our Freedom as its opening and closing films respectively, both finally coming home even as they continue their festival run across the globe.
The festival returns to its original home at the Prestige Cinema, with additional screening locations at the Kaloleni Social Hall in Eastlands, Docubox at Shalom House, and the definitive home of independent cinema in Nairobi, Unseen Cinema in Kilimani.
Founded by Sheba Hirst and filmmaker Mbithi Masya, known for directing Kati Kati, Kenya’s entry to the 2018 Oscars, the NBO Film Festival was created to showcase quality local and international films and foster an appreciation for the art of cinema in Kenya.
“After a long hiatus, we’re excited to bring the NBO Film Festival back to a city and region that urgently needs storytelling that moves us—stories that speak to our deepest emotions, connect us to our shared humanity, and reveal essential truths,” says Hirst. “In this time of reflection, we’ve come to understand that our most critical role is safeguarding the spaces where art, creativity, and critical inquiry can thrive. In a world where these spaces are increasingly under threat, it’s more important than ever to protect and celebrate the power of art to question, challenge, and inspire.”
“With this comeback, our goal remains the same: to nurture a vibrant film culture that encourages collective reflection on the Kenyan identity. It’s all about celebrating our successes and creating magical experiences for our audiences,” says Masya whose short film, Baba, is among this year’s lineup.
Masya elaborates on the festival’s long-term vision: “We have developed a full program of audience-facing and industry-facing events for the next few years and have been fortunate to secure partners to walk this journey with us. We’re excited to grow the world of cinema for our audiences by providing unique experiences for them to convene and enjoy this art form in all its expressions.”
In addition to its lineup of films and engaging sessions with filmmakers, the festival will host a range of industry events under the banner of the European Union – Kenya Film Exchange. Presented at all three festival locations, this exchange will serve as the festival’s central hub for networking, offering filmmakers, collaborators and investors space to engage through panels, talkback sessions and skills training workshops.
The festival will close with the return of ‘Shorts, Shorts and Shots’, created and presented by DocuBox at Shalom House. This hybrid beach-party film screening invites attendees to don their favourite shorts, enjoy shots, and immerse themselves in short films exploring the theme of African Futures. The Creators Brunch will also provide a supportive space for young and emerging female creators, offering mentorship and connection opportunities with established female creators and leaders in the creative industry.
Here is Sinema Focus’ selection of 16 must-watch films that will be screening at the festival:
The Battle for Laikipia | Documentary | Kenya
Directors: Peter Murimi, Daphne Matziaraki
Producers: Toni Kamau, Daphne Matziaraki
In The Battle for Laikipa, filmed over five years, unresolved historical injustices and climate change raise the stakes in a generations-old conflict between indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Laikipia, Kenya, a wildlife conservation haven.
The Battle of Laikipia had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2024, winning producer Toni Kamau the Amazon Studios Non-Fiction Award and earning a Grand Jury Prize nomination.
Our Land, Our Freedom | Documentary | Kenya
Directors: Zippy Kimundu, Meena Nanji
Producers: Eliane Ferreira, Meena Nanji, Zippy Kimundu
Winner of Best Documentary (Honorable Mention) at DocsBarcelona 2024 and Best Documentary Film at Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) 2024, Our Land, Our Freedom follows Wanjugu Kimathi’s quest to uncover the truth about her father, the legendary Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi, while also exploring British colonial atrocities in Kenya. Working closely with her mother, Mukami Kimathi, their efforts spark a larger movement, transforming Wanjugu into a powerful advocate championing justice and land resettlement for those dispossessed.
Goodbye Julia | Drama | Sudan
Director: Mohamed Kordofani
Producers: Amjad Abu Alala, Mohammed Alomda
Set against the backdrop of a divided Sudan – South and North – before South Sudan’s secession, Goodbye Julia follows a retired famous singer from the North, who, grappling with guilt over a southern man’s death, hires his unsuspecting widow as her maid.
Goodbye Julia, which premiered and won the Freedom Prize in Un Certain Regard prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival 2023 – the first-ever Sudanese film to premiere at the festival – was also selected as Sudan’s Oscars 2024 entry for Best International Feature.
Mami Wata | Drama, Fantasy, Thriller | Nigeria
Director: C.J. Obasi
Producer: Oge Obasi
Told using exquisite monochromatic black and white visuals, Mami Wata tells the story of Iyi, an oceanside village where a matriarch confronts the growing discontent of her people as modernity and external influences creep closer.
In 2023, Mami Wata made history as the first Nigerian film to premiere at Sundance, where it won the Special Jury Award in Cinematography and earned a Grand Jury Prize nomination, subsequently becoming Nigeria’s 2024 Oscars submission.
Mami Wata was also nominated for Outstanding International Motion Picture (Image Award) at NAACP 2024, Best International Film at Independent Spirit Awards 2024 and in twelve categories at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 2023, winning three.
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire | Anthology | Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Egypt
A collection of 10 animated short films, Kizazi Moto is an action-packed animated sci-fi anthology that presents ten futuristic visions from Africa inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures.
From Triggerfish Animation Studios, Kizazi Moto is helmed by fourteen creators across Africa: Ng’endo Mukii (Kenya) – Enkai, Ahmed Teilab (Egypt) – Stardust, Simangaliso Sibaya and Malcolm Wope (South Africa) – Mkhuzi: The Masked Racer, Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane (South Africa) – Hatima, Shofela Coker (Nigeria) – Moremi, Nthato Mokgata and Terence Neale (South Africa) – Surf Sangoma, Pious Nyenyewa and Tafadzwa Hove (Zimbabwe) – Mukudzei, Tshepo Moche (South Africa) – First Totem Problems, Raymond Malinga (Uganda) – Herderboy, and Lesego Vorster (South Africa) – You Give Me Heart.
Kizazi Moto was the third most-nominated title in the TV/Broadcast category with 5 nods at the 2024 Annie Awards, winning Best Limited Series (TV/Media) for Kenya’s Enkai.
Read More: From ‘Kizazi Moto’ to ‘Supa Team 4’, 2023 Is A Breakthrough Year For Animation in Africa
The Empty Grave | Documentary | Tanzania
Directors: Cece Mlay and Agnes Lisa Wegner
Producers: Christoph Holthof, Daniel Reich, Luna Selle and Amil Shivji
Making its world premiere earlier this year at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, The Empty Grave follows the emotional journey of two Tanzanian families in search of their stolen ancestors. Their quest leads them to Germany where tens of thousands of human remains from former German colonies are stored in museum depots — a haunting legacy of colonial plunder in the early 20th century, taken for racist research and as macabre trophies.
Sira | Drama | Burkina Faso
Director: Apolline Traoré
Producers: Apolline Traoré, Denis Cougnaud, Souleymane Kébé, Sarika Hemi Lakhani
Burkina Faso’s Best International Feature submission to the 2024 Oscars, Sira narrates a harrowing story of survival and resilience in the tumultuous Sahel region, a region that spans from Senegal to Eritrea, teeming with security and humanitarian crises. The film follows the journey of Sira, a member of the nomadic Fulani tribe, who refuses to surrender to her fate without a fight and instead takes a stand against Islamist terror.
Sira won the Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film at its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. The film was also nominated for eight awards at the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards where it won Best Director and Best Sound.
Nawi | Drama | Kenya
Directors: Toby Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine
Producers: Lydia Wrensch, Caroline Heim, Brizan Were
Based on a winning story by Milcah Cherotich from a nationwide writing contest, Nawi follows a young girl who escapes her impending marriage and embarks on a journey to reclaim her dream of joining high school.
Nawi has been selected by the Kenya Film Commission (KFC) as Kenya’s Best International Feature submission to the 2025 Oscars. Most recently, the film earned five nominations at the 2024 Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Young/Promising Actor for lead and newcomer Michelle Lemuya Ikeny, Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Benson Ochunga and Achievement in Cinematography.
Read Our Review: Kenya’s Oscars 2025 Entry ‘Nawi’ Confronts An Age-Old Turkana Tradition
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl | Drama, Comedy | Zambia
Director: Rungano Nyoni
Producers: Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe
Rungano Nyoni’s second feature, On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, follows a woman who returns home for her uncle’s funeral and uncovers dark family secrets amid traditional mourning rituals.
The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, earning Nyoni a Best Director award in Un Certain Regard. It also screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September, at the 2024 New York Film Festival this October and will be screening in competition for the Best Film Award at the 68th BFI London Film Festival.
Banel & Adama | Drama | Senegal
Director: Ramata-Toulaye Sy
Producers: Eric Névé, Margaux Juvenal, Maud Leclair Névé
French-Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy made her debut with Banel & Adama, which follows a young couple in a remote Senegalese as they struggle between their love for each other and the pressures of societal traditions. Amidst a hostile environment, their defiance of cultural expectations sets the stage for a tragic love story.
Director Sy became only the second Black woman to have a film premiere in Competition at Cannes, after Mati Diop’s Atlantics in 2019, where it competed for the Palme d’Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023.
Banel & Adama was Senegalese entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Oscars.
The Planter’s Plantation | Drama | Cameroon
Director: Eystein Young Dingha Junior
Producers: Irene Nangi, Eystein Young Dingha
Set in the 1960s, Cameroon’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2023 Oscars, The Planter’s Plantation, follows a young girl who must battle family and society to preserve her father’s legacy.
The film was nominated for the top prize at the 2023 FESPACO and took home the Ousmane Sembène Prize and the Prix Spécial for L’Egalite aux Filles (Special Prize for Equality for Girls).
Shimoni | Drama | Kenya
Director: Angela Wamai
Producer: Wangechi Ngugi
Angela Wamai made her feature debut in 2022 with Shimoni, the story of a former English teacher and ex-convict who returns to his home village after serving a 7-year sentence for a heinous crime, taking us through his lonely journey of trying to fit into a world that has no place for him.
Shimoni had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The film took home the Bronze Stallion at FESPACO 2023 and the Golden Film Award at the Luxor African Film Festival.
Read Our Review: ‘Shimoni’ Confronts the Burdens of Trauma and Guilt
Omen | Drama | Congo, Belgium
Director: Baloji
Producer: Benoit Roland
In Omen, a Congolese man returns to his homeland from Belgium with a pregnant white fiancée. There, he confronts his past and cultural roots as he navigates themes of identity, alienation, and tradition versus modernity.
Omen was Belgium’s Best International Feature entry for the 2024 Oscars, and has been nominated for several awards, including in Un Certain Regard at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere, fourteen nods at the 2023 Africa Movie Academy Awards and a win for Best African Feature at the 2023 Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).
Read Our Review: ‘Omen’ Is A Fearless and Unique Exploration of African Spirituality
Baada ya Masika (After the Long Rains) | Drama | Kenya
Director: Damien Hauser
Producers: Damien Hauser
Set in the beautiful coastal town of Watamu, After the Long Rains is an exquisite coming-of-age story about a ten-year-old girl who dreams of becoming an actress in Europe. She’s encouraged in her dreams by a local fisherman, who plants in her a seed of hope.
After the Long Rains premiered at the 2023 Red Sea Film Festival before screening at Rotterdam earlier in the year.
Baba | Short | Kenya
Director: Mbithi Masya
Producer: Bramwel Iro
From Kati Kati director Mbithi Masya, Baba, which made its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, is the story of a six-year-old boy with the unique ability to teleport. Buoyed by childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, he bounces between his harsh reality and the peaceful solitude that his ability affords him as he learns to protect his innocence.
Baba won the Baobab Award for Best Short Film at the 2022 Film Africa Film Festival in London.
Grogan’s Lodge | Short | Kenya
Director: Isaya Evans
Producer: Densu Moseti
Grogan’s Lodge is a spooky-location horror film with elements of Get Out meets colonialism. It follows two college students looking for employment in a nature-reclaimed lodge where they expect to work as waitresses and are instead trapped in a colonial past.
See the full festival lineup below:
17 October
The Battle for Laikipia – Opening Film
18 October
Black Tea
Nawi
19 October
After the Long Rains (Baada ya Masika)
Disko Africa: A Malagasy Story
Goodbye Julia
Sira
Black Tea
The Battle for Laikipia
Mystery of Waza
Shimoni
20 October
Sira
Mulika – Short
Sirènes – Short
Mirror Mirror – Short
We Are Griots – Short
Here Ends the Worlds We’ve Known – Short
Urefu Wa Kamba – Short
Teramata – Short
Hair Care – Short
Baba – Short
Banel & Adama
After the Long Rains
Goodbye Julia
Mami Wata
The Empty Grave
21 October
The Empty Grave
Black Tea
22 October
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl
Banel & Adama
23 October
Nawi
On Becoming A Guinea Fowl
24 October
Omen
Otis Janam
25 October
Nyumba Ya Mburi
Mulika – Short
Sirènes – Short
Mirror Mirror – Short
We Are Griots – Short
Here Ends the Worlds We’ve Known – Short
Grogan’s Lodge – Short
Urefu Wa Kamba – Short
Pepo Kali – Short
Teramata – Short
Hair Care – Short
Baba – Short
Nyumba Ya Mburi
Kizazi Moto
Otis Janam
26 October
The Planter’s Plantation
Mami Wata
Our Land, Our Freedom – Closing Film
Kizazi Moto
The Empty Grave
Nawi
Mulika – Short
Sirènes – Short
Mirror Mirror – Short
We Are Griots – Short
Here Ends the Worlds We’ve Known – Short
Grogan’s Lodge – Short
Urefu Wa Kamba – Short
Teramata – Short
Hair Care – Short
Baba – Short
The Battle for Laikipia
27 October
Shorts, Shorts & Shots: Afrofuturism Edition
Our Land, Our Freedom
