For years, a team of filmmakers, scriptwriters and lovers of on-screen entertainment, have come together to present us with The Nairobi Film Festival. This year marks the third year of the event that not only brings together these three cohorts but allows Kenyans and residents from Nairobi and beyond to commune at Prestige Plaza to enjoy an array of feature documentaries and short films from Africa and around the world.

The festival runs for two weeks and showcases at least 15 films. As for the costs, on average, Kshs. 500 per film and attendees have the option to purchase as many tickets as they’d like. But, perhaps, what we at Paukwa cherish the most about the film festival is the love we get to show for our Kenyan film directors.

Though, before we go on and on about what we love about this festival, we must take you back to where it all began. In 2017, Kenyan film director Mbithi Masya and Sheba Hirst decided that Nairobi, the heart of vibrancy in East Africa, would be an ideal spot to bring together lovers of film but more importantly, to revitalize the cinema culture. The idea was to debut recently released films, and in doing so debunking the perception that going to the cinema is a habit buried long ago. And we see why. In the age of online platforms such as Showmax, HBO and Netflix, it’s easy to assume that people would rather spend their days off in the house binging rather than drive to the cinema. But a social event is destined to bring people together! Of course, the planning was a tedious process, but with the right focus, tenacity and truly, the fact that Mbithi is globally recognized for his award-winning film, Kati Kati, the plan was destined to succeed.

Speaking of ‘Kati Kati’, the Kenyan film made its debut at the first Nairobi Film Festival.

Last year, the festival was held between 27th March and 1st April. It particularly gained traction because of Likarion Wainaina’s ‘Supa Modo’ film and Philipa Ndisi-Herrman’s documentary, ‘New Moon’, which goes to show that as Kenyans, we celebrate the creative works of our own.

Progress is evident as the years go on, and the festival is set to feature more films from various creators ranging across different genres. In Kenyan fashion, the film festival kicked off last Thursday with Mugambi Nthiga’s well-awaited film “Lusala” and on Friday, Docubox’s quarterly series of short films with this month’s theme being ‘Mzalendo Edition.’ The festival continues this and next week with a variety of short films that will have you (and us) spending the remainder of this chilly month huddled in a cinema, possibly with popcorn in hand and with our phones beyond reach… ama?

Want to have a unique, almost binge-worthy experience outside the house? We suggest the NBO Film Festival. You can find the films, dates, and costs here:NBO Film Fest 2019