The seventh edition of the NBO Film Festival will conclude on Sunday, October 25, after 10 days of celebrating African and international cinema across Nairobi.
The festival, which began on October 15, will continue until October 25, with screenings taking place across Prestige Plaza, Unseen Cinema and Alliance Française Nairobi.
Under the theme “Cinema for Us”, the festival features community programmes, filmmaker conversations, dialogues and competitions celebrating African storytelling.
What you missed
The festival opened on October 15 at Prestige Cinema in Nairobi with a screening of “Ben’Imana”, an acclaimed Rwandan drama that brought together members of its cast, including actors Clémentine U. Nyirinkindi, Mugabo Adelithe and Kelly Nishimwe Kezia.
The screening marked the film’s African premiere and offered the cast an opportunity to watch it together for the first time.
Another highlight from the festival includes the October 17 premiere of “Call Me Queen”, a Kenyan-German film presented ahead of its East African theatrical release on October 30.
Speaking about this year’s programme, NBO Film Festival Artistic Director Mbithi Masya said the festival aims to bring audiences together to discover African and international stories while encouraging conversations around cinema.
“NBO Film Festival is a space where audiences can discover, celebrate and engage with the stories being made across Africa and beyond,” he said.
Masya added that the festival’s expanded programme and new competitions were intended to deepen Nairobi’s cinema culture and ensure African audiences remain part of the conversation.
If you’re still planning to go this weekend, here are some selections you may want to look out for.
Fiction
- “Carissa” (South Africa),
- “Rumba Royale” (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
- “The Heart Is a Muscle” (South Africa/Saudi Arabia)
- “Cards on the Table” (Kenya)
Documentaries
- And She Didn’t Die (South Africa/UK)
- Life After Siham (France/Egypt)
- Kamĩrĩĩthũ Afterlives (Kenya)
- Black Zombie (Canada)
Lunchbox selections
- Vuta N’Kuvute (Tanzania)
- Camp de Thiaroye (Sénégal)
- Kati Kati (Kenya)
Family selections
- Liyana
- Stero
- Baada ya Masika
Shorts
The shorts Block brings together filmmakers from Kenya and other countries, with works including “Tracks”, “10 Toes Down”, “Mwakenya” and “The Fortunate”.
This year’s edition introduced two new competitive categories alongside the returning Fiction Feature Film Competition: the Nick Wambugu Prize for Documentary and the Short Film Fiction Competition. The three competitions feature 15 films, with juries chaired by Judy Kibinge, Sam Soko and Lydia Matata, respectively.
Winners will be announced at the closing ceremony.
