The NBO Film Festival is set to return to Nairobi from 15 to 25 October 2026 with its most ambitious programme to date, bringing together filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals for an expanded celebration of African cinema. The seventh edition will introduce two new competitive categories, a major filmmaker retrospective and a broader industry programme alongside screenings, community events and conversations. Organisers have also announced the Nick Wambugu Prize for Documentary, created in recognition of the late Kenyan documentary filmmaker known for his contribution to nonfiction storytelling. The festival will also present its first filmmaker retrospective, dedicated to acclaimed French-Senegalese filmmaker Alain Gomis. Held under the theme “Cinema for Us”, the 2026 edition aims to strengthen Nairobi’s position as a meeting point for filmmakers, audiences and creative professionals from across Africa and beyond.
The festival will take place across four venues, giving audiences opportunities to experience its programme in different parts of Nairobi. Prestige Plaza, Unseen Cinema and Kaloleni Social Hall will return as festival locations, while Alliance Française Nairobi will join the event as a newly introduced venue. The expansion reflects the organisers’ intention to make the festival part of the wider public life of the city rather than confining its activities to a single location. Screenings will be complemented by filmmaker conversations, city dialogues and community programmes designed to encourage audiences to engage with cinema beyond the traditional theatre experience. The combination of multiple venues and different programme formats is expected to give the seventh edition a broader reach and create more opportunities for Nairobi audiences to participate.
A major development for the 2026 festival will be the introduction of the Nick Wambugu Prize for Documentary. The new competition will recognise the best documentary feature selected for the festival’s competition programme, giving nonfiction filmmakers a dedicated platform within the event. Wambugu was known for the documentary The People Shall and was an important figure in Kenya’s documentary filmmaking community. He died in January 2026 after battling hypocellular MDS, a rare bone marrow disorder. Naming the documentary prize after him creates a lasting connection between the festival and his contribution to documentary storytelling while giving other filmmakers an opportunity to have their work recognised.
The documentary prize will form part of an expanded competitive programme that also includes the Fiction Feature Film Competition and a new Short Film Fiction competition. The Fiction Feature Film Competition, which was introduced during the 2025 edition, will return for the seventh festival. The addition of a dedicated short film category creates another opportunity for filmmakers working in shorter formats to compete and receive recognition. Together, the three competitions will cover feature fiction, feature documentary and short fiction, giving the festival a wider range of storytelling formats to showcase. Jury chairs for the competitions are scheduled to be announced on 4 September, with the competition selections expected to follow on 7 September.
The festival’s artistic direction is closely connected to its 2026 theme, “Cinema for Us”. Artistic Director Mbithi Masya said the festival aims to create a space where audiences can discover, celebrate and engage with stories being produced across Africa and beyond. The theme also reflects an ambition to make cinema a shared cultural experience that encourages people to meet, exchange ideas and discuss the issues raised by films. By combining screenings with conversations and public programmes, NBO Film Festival is positioning itself as more than a showcase for completed productions. It is also developing into a platform for dialogue about African storytelling, filmmaking and the future of the regional film industry.
Another major highlight will be the festival’s first filmmaker retrospective, dedicated to Alain Gomis. The acclaimed French-Senegalese filmmaker is known for works including Dao and Félicité, and he is expected to attend both audience and industry events during the festival. His presence will give audiences an opportunity to engage directly with a filmmaker whose career has explored different aspects of African identity, society and contemporary life through cinema. The retrospective will examine his body of work and provide an opportunity to consider how his creative approach has evolved over the course of his career. For the festival, bringing Gomis to Nairobi also adds an international dimension to an edition already focused strongly on African filmmaking.
The Alain Gomis retrospective is being supported by EUNIC, the European Union National Institutes for Culture. The programme will look across Gomis’ filmography and examine his creative development as a filmmaker. Rather than presenting his work as a collection of isolated films, the retrospective is expected to trace connections between different stages of his career and his contribution to African cinema. The full retrospective line-up will be announced on 9 September, giving audiences further information about the films that will be included. The festival’s opening film and major Special Presentations will then be announced on 10 September, building anticipation ahead of the October event.
The industry programme is also being expanded for the 2026 edition, reflecting the festival’s growing role within the professional filmmaking community. The programme will bring together filmmakers and other industry professionals through the NBO Project Showcase, creative labs and professional exchanges. These activities are designed to support the development of film projects while creating opportunities for collaboration and professional networking. Such programmes can be particularly valuable to filmmakers seeking connections beyond their immediate markets and looking for partners, creative collaborators or industry expertise. By incorporating project development and professional exchanges into the festival, NBO Film Festival is creating space for both finished films and works that are still being developed.
The expanded programme also reflects the changing needs of African filmmakers and the wider regional film industry. Film festivals can provide more than awards and screenings when they create opportunities for filmmakers to meet producers, programmers, distributors, creative professionals and potential international partners. The NBO Project Showcase and creative labs are intended to support that kind of engagement while encouraging new ideas and collaborations. Professional exchanges can also help filmmakers better understand opportunities in different markets and develop relationships that extend beyond the festival itself. For Nairobi, the programme strengthens the city’s role as a place where creative professionals can gather to share knowledge, present projects and build connections.
With the introduction of new competitions, the Nick Wambugu documentary prize, the Alain Gomis retrospective and a larger industry programme, NBO Film Festival 2026 represents a significant expansion of the event. The festival will bring together established filmmakers, emerging talent, audiences and industry professionals across four Nairobi venues from 15 to 25 October. Its “Cinema for Us” theme places audiences and public engagement at the centre of the experience while maintaining a strong focus on African filmmaking. The recognition of Nick Wambugu adds a meaningful tribute to a Kenyan filmmaker, while the Alain Gomis retrospective broadens the festival’s international and artistic scope. As further programme details are announced in September, the seventh NBO Film Festival is shaping up to be a major gathering for cinema lovers and film professionals interested in the future of African storytelling.
