The Kitale Film Week has released the official programme for its highly anticipated fourth edition in 2026, running from February 22nd to March 1st.
The festival promises a powerhouse lineup of award-winning features, urgent documentaries, and a robust industry platform designed to fuel the next generation of African cinema.
According to the Kitale Film Week founder Peter Pages Bwire, the 2026 program will be done differently.
“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 one of the trailblazers, Charles Bukeko, whose work has shaped the careers of many creatives from our region,” said Bwire.
“I am not only looking forward to the films, which are really amazing, but also the industry programme. Since series production, mostly driven by streaming as we see on YouTube, Netflix and the rest, 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,” he added.
Programme highlights
The 2026 edition is set to deliver an explosive week of cinema and industry action:
Opening Night Gala: The festival kicks off on Wednesday, February 25th, with the high-energy comedy-heist, Inside Job (2025) , from acclaimed Kenyan director David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga.
Starring comedic powerhouses Mammito Eunice and Jacky Vike, the film is a wildly chaotic mission for justice and laughs.
The selection features global festival winners, including Mati Diop’s Golden Bear-winning documentary Dahomey (2024) , Dani Kouyaté’s award-winning Afro-Noir thriller Katanga: The Dance of the Scorpions (2024)—a powerful re-imagining of Skakespeare’s Macbeth , and the UNESCO Fellini Medal winner, The Fisherman (2024) from Ghana.
Kenyan Pioneers: The programme pays tribute to cinematic legends with a special tribute to the late Ann Mungai on Sunday, February 22nd, featuring her groundbreaking 1992 film Saikati.
The festival closes on Sunday, March 1st, with a heartfelt Charles Bukeko (Papa Shirandula) tribute, highlighting his work in Bob Nyanja’s classic comedy-drama Malooned! (2007).
Socially Conscious Cinema: Featured films include Nick Reding and Wanuri Kahiu’s raw drama Sarah (2024) , addressing FGC and early marriage in the Loita Hills , and Nick Wambugu’s urgent documentary The People Shall (2025), capturing the raw energy of contemporary Kenyan youth-led activism.
A robust industry programme will heavily focus on series production, audience development, and film distribution.
This is complemented by the North Rift and Western Kenya Film and TV Summit on March 1st , and a Film in Education programme in partnership with Tunga Media Afrika.
The festival is introducing a new initiative, The Youth Critics Circle, to develop a new generation of youth critics for the African film industry.
