NBO Film Festival Unveils Lineup for Seventh Edition
The Nairobi-based NBO Film Festival has announced its official screening slate for its upcoming 2026 edition. Now marking its seventh year, the festival continues to spotlight contemporary African cinema and provide a critical exhibition platform for filmmakers across the continent.
Opening the festival is Ben’Imana (2026), directed by Rwandan filmmaker Marie Clémentine Dusabejambo. The project marked a historic milestone as the first film directed by a Rwandan filmmaker to enter the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival. The debut feature received significant critical acclaim internationally, securing both the prestigious Caméra d’Or for best debut feature and the FIPRESCI Critics’ Prize.
Set in post-genocide Rwanda, Ben’Imana centers on Vénéranda, a survivor who facilitates reconciliation meetings between the families of victims and perpetrators. Her personal dedication to restorative justice is tested when her daughter becomes pregnant, forcing her to confront the emotional boundaries of her own capacity to forgive.
Expanded Industry Programmes and Competitions
In addition to its opening title, the festival’s lineup includes Patience Nitumwesiga’s 2025 documentary The Woman Who Poked The Leopard. The production offers an intimate profile of Ugandan academic, activist, and poet Dr. Stella Nyanzi. The screening roster also highlights other African narrative works, including Carissa.
For its seventh edition, the NBO Film Festival will host three juried competitions alongside its first-ever filmmaker retrospective, backed by the European Union National Institutes for Culture. Organizers have also enlarged the festival’s industry track, introducing inaugural competitive categories dedicated to short films and documentaries.
For the wider African creative ecosystem, including composers and screen industry practitioners, festivals such as NBO serve as essential hubs for regional distribution, licensing opportunities, and creative collaboration across borders.
Source: Afrocritik