From Premieres to Pioneers: Inside Kitale Film Week’s Ambitious 2026 Programme

The Kitale Film Week has officially announced its programme for the festival’s fourth edition, set to run from February 22nd to March 1st, 2026.

The upcoming edition promises an expanded slate of global premières, award-winning films, and industry-driven events that reinforce the festival’s growing influence in East Africa’s creative landscape.

The 2026 programme highlights a dynamic mix of feature films, documentaries, tributes, and capacity-building initiatives, further underlining the festival’s commitment to supporting both emerging and established voices in African cinema.

Opening Gala and Feature Highlights

The festival will begin on Wednesday, February 25^th 2026, with the Opening Night Gala featuring Inside Job (2025), a high-energy comedy-heist film by celebrated Kenyan filmmaker David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga. The film stars comedians Mammito Eunice and Jacky Vike, setting a lively tone for the week-long celebration.

Audiences can also look forward to a lineup of acclaimed international titles, including Mati Diop’s Dahomey (2024), winner of the Golden Bear; Dani Kouyaté’s Afro-Noir thriller Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions (2024), a reimagining of Macbeth; and Ghana’s The Fisherman (2024), recipient of the UNESCO Fellini Medal.

Tributes to Pioneers of Kenyan Cinema

The festival will honour Kenyan filmmaker Ann Mungai, who passed away in November 2025, with a special tribute on February 22nd.

Her pioneering 1992 film Saikati will be screened in recognition of her groundbreaking contribution to local cinema.

The closing ceremony on March 1st will pay tribute to the late actor Charles Bukeko (Papa Shirandula), celebrating his enduring impact through a screening of Malooned! (2007), directed by Bob Nyanja.

Films Tackling Urgent Social Issues

Among the socially conscious works slated for screening are Sarah (2024) by Nick Reding and Wanuri Kahiu, which sheds light on FGC and early marriage in the Loita Hills; and The People Shall (2025) by Nick Wambugu, a documentary capturing present-day youth-led activism in Kenya.

Industry Programmes and New Initiatives

In 2026, the industry programme will spotlight series production, audience development, and film distribution, reflecting the sector’s shifting dynamics. The schedule includes the North Rift and Western Kenya Film and TV Summit on March 1st, as well as a Film in Education programme in partnership with Tunga Media Afrika.

A new initiative, The Youth Critics Circle, will also be launched to nurture young film critics across the continent.

Curated Collaborations and Distribution Partners

The Short Films Programme includes selections curated by Lagos-based FilmJoint, featuring Barbara Minishi’s Inheritance (2024) and Nmezi Joy’s Slot (2025). Other notable additions include Jordy Sank’s South African drama Fleas/Amazeze (2025) and Lydia Matata’s Kenyan short Float (2025).

The festival also continues to collaborate with influential distributors such as Tunga Media Afrika, Sudu Connexion, Okada Media, and Rushlake Media, whose contributions bring a diverse slate of films into this year’s programme.

Founder’s Remarks

“We are glad that we have made it to the fourth edition. I genuinely believe that the 5th edition was exciting, but we didn’t have the level of industry engagement that we are planning to have in 2026,” said Peter Pages Bwire, Founder of Kitale Film Week.

“So I am not only looking forward to the films, which are really amazing, but also the industry programme. Since series production… represents the biggest growth and revenue opportunity in the African market, we have made our industry programme to prioritize skills that are transferable between features and series, but with a series-first mindset.

“We are also doing the programme differently… we begin with a tribute to a film industry trailblazer Anne Mungai, before we do the official opening with Tosh Gitonga’s film Inside Job. We are also hoping to cause some movement with the North Rift and Western Kenya Film and TV Summit, which will also allow us to honour… Charles Bukeko.

“As usual, we strongly prioritize partnerships and collaborations, and the film distributors have greatly shaped the 2026 line-up by providing the films and giving our audiences the opportunity to interact with their own stories in a very accessible way.”