Nairobi Film Festival Returns for 6th Edition, Showcasing African Cinema

Nairobi’s cinephiles, rejoice, the NBO Film Festival is back for its 6th edition, running from October 16th to 26th, 2025.

The festival brings with it a vibrant celebration of Kenyan and African cinema, spotlighting more than 26 films from over 15 countries  including world premieres, African debuts, and standout international titles.

“Our goal this year was to program films that remind us that African cinema is not defined by geography, but by imagination,” says Mbithi Masya, the festival’s Artistic Director. “Each story — whether from Nairobi, Lagos, or Harare  is a piece of a much larger conversation about who we are becoming.”

Kicking things off is the highly anticipated Kenyan documentary How To Build a Library, directed by acclaimed filmmakers Maia Lekow and Christopher King (The Letter).

Fresh from its Sundance premiere, the film traces the inspiring journey of Shiro Koinange and Angela Wacuka, co-founders of Book Bunk, as they breathe new life into Nairobi’s historic McMillan Memorial Library. It’s a powerful story about more than just books,  it’s about memory, community, and the futures we dare to imagine.

This year’s festival is packed with must-watch Kenyan films, each telling stories rooted in resilience, identity, and creativity. Highlights include:

This year’s NBO Film Festival shines a well-deserved spotlight on homegrown talent, with a powerful lineup of Kenyan films that explore themes of resilience, identity, and creativity. Among the local highlights are Sayari by Omar Hamza, Widow Champion by Zippy Kimundu, It’s A Free Country by John ‘JJ’ Jumbo, Memory of Princess Mumbi by Damien Hauser, and The People Shall by Nick Wambugu and Mark Maina. Alongside these are standout African films from across the continent, including Aisha Can’t Fly Away (Egypt), The Weekend (Nigeria), Mothers of Chibok (Nigeria), and Matabeleland (Zimbabwe), offering audiences a rich tapestry of storytelling.

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In a first for the festival, this year introduces an In-Competition section, raising the stakes with five exceptional films in the running for top honors: The Dog by Baker Karim, Memory of Princess Mumbi by Damien Hauser, My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies, Promised Sky by Erige Sehiri, and The Fisherman by Zoey Martinson. The jury, led by renowned filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu — celebrated for her work spotlighting African joy and resistance — will be joined by a distinguished panel of creatives: Elsaphan Njora, Carol Kioko, and Mūmbi Kaigwa. Together, they bring a wealth of experience and insight to what promises to be a landmark moment in African cinema.

Back by popular demand is ‘Shorts, Shorts and Shots’, a playful beach-style screening curated by Docubox where the dress code is your favourite shorts and the drinks are — you guessed it — shots. Also new this year: a special focus on Afro-Latin American cinema, spotlighting the shared cultural threads across the African diaspora.

“For East Africans, storytelling has always been at the heart of our culture,” says co-founder Sheba Hirst. “The NBO Film Festival exists to amplify those voices and bring them into conversation with the world.”

Since its founding in 2017, the NBO Film Festival has grown from a niche event to a cultural powerhouse in East Africa. This year, the energy is undeniable — bold films, diverse voices, and a city-wide celebration of storytelling that’s equal parts imagination and revolution.