I believe when it comes to Kenyan film culture in general, no one is coming to save us. Not Hollywood, Bollywood, Nollywood or Europe. No one is going to show up and suddenly change how we look at what we create and consume. Everything that needs to happen, from production to marketing to consumption, has to be figured out by us.
There are small moments that remind me, as someone who covers a lot of visual media both locally and internationally, that we might be heading in the right direction.
One of those moments happened this past weekend with Mo- Faya Masterclasses that took place at the University of Nairobi and the Filmmakers Hangout at Nairobi Cinema.
If you have Netflix and live in Kenya, you’ve probably come across Mo- Faya, an authentically Kenyan, engaging seven-episode crime drama following mostly university students.
Maybe you’re a film enthusiast and have wondered how it was made. Maybe you wished you could listen to the people who worked behind the scenes.
Well, on Saturday, April 26, Multan Productions and the University of Nairobi put together an informative event that brought together film practitioners from different fields. The simple goal was to do a postmortem of the show.
A true collaborative effort
The event didn’t just cover the filmmaking process, from writing to post-production, it also tackled crucial parts that often get overlooked, like marketing, distribution, and casting.
While the panelists anchored the discussion around Mo-Faya, the conversation naturally went beyond the show, touching on wider aspects of filmmaking and production in Kenya.
Hungry minds
The room had young people in attendance who knew exactly why they were there. You could see it during lunch breaks, in the conversations, and in how quickly everyone returned for the afternoon sessions without having to be dragged back in.
Abigail Wanjira basically ran the show. She flawlessly bridged the segments. It was easy to tell she was not new to the stage, but she had a laid-back yet commanding presence that worked in timing and moving the event foward.
Nyakobi Macharia did a fantastic job moderating, especially the distribution, marketing, and audience development panel with Sinema Focus CEO Jennifer Ochieng.
Beyond the chemistry, I loved how Nyakobi pulled out important, practical insights from Jennifer about marketing and distribution. She also did a great job handling the actors and the casting director later on.
Churchill Osimbo brought sharp, thought-provoking energy to his session with cinematographer Mohammed Zainuddin and production designer Harrison Mutinda. Their segment was especially informative when they dug into the complexities of giving the show a visual language, including how the cinematographer used AI for visualisation.
Dr Kimingichi Wabende moderated the production panel with Winnie Adisa and Daniel Gitonga.
This session gave us a real look into the financial challenges of bringing the show to life. Winnie also broke down what it’s like managing large teams, and the entire segment showed just how hectic production can get.
Talking sound, editing, and more
If you’ve read my reviews of local productions, you know I often complain about sound design.
I was glad Lawrence Magaya from the sound department took time to unpack the real challenges around sound design and the audio space, which is a problem for Kenya’s audiovisual industry.
Sledge Ambani and Jimmy Karutu also talked about the editing process, giving real insights into colour and the editing process.
Other segments that stood out too.
Professor Tom Odhiambo gave an entertaining and informative talk during the public-private partnership session.
Writers Edijoe Mwaniki and Reuben Odanga offered a broader take on writing for Tv and navigating changes before and during production in terms of writing.
During the actors and casting session moderated by Nyakobi, Gerald Langiri and the actors did a great job breaking down the misunderstood world of casting. They even showed before-and-after clips of the actors' performances, giving us a deeper look into the process.
Small details like Gerald unpacking the complexities of the craft are the kind of things I appreciate.
The actors were suprisingly thoughtful, they talked about mental health and shared very personal stories, the segment turned out to be much deeper than expected.
Vulnerability
Although director Tosh Gitonga didn’t show up for the directing segment, Reuben Odanga (director/producer, Mo- Faya) with Sinema focus's film critic Churchill Osimbo gave a deeper look at production from the director and producer's eye.
What stood out about Reuben is how vulnerable in terms of sharing some details he and the Multan team were. This wasn’t a “get your pen and notebook out” kind of session. It was more of “this is what we went through, this is what we did, and this is what it actually looks like” session.
They shared details most producers and directors would cringe at the thought of making public. Especially the insights Reuben shared about streaming and dealing with client demands during production.
Now, should every TV show and film producer open up the way Multan did? I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see. Because what Multan did goes against the usual “keep your cards close” culture in the Kenyan film culture.
Gripes
Before we get into the Filmmakers Hangout, I have to mention one issue with the Mo-Faya Masterclasses: communication. Even though the event had been in the works for a long time, communication leading up to it felt uncertain and unpredictable. Marketing-wise, it felt rushed.
I wish they had been bolder and more confident in getting the word out.
Filmmakers Hangout
Meanwhile, across town at Nairobi Cinema, another film-centered event was happening, the Filmmakers Hangout.
Like the Masterclass, this event brought together young people. It was more entertainment-centric, with performances and short film screenings, most of the films made by young people.
Filmmakers Hangout has the potential to grow into a space for young filmmakers whose work often gets overlooked by the “gatekeepers.”
Film institutions should find ways to collaborate with events like this to showcase quality student projects that struggle to find traction with wider audiences.
Final thoughts
We can't overlook the fact that on April 26th, 2025, two distinct film based events happened in Nairobi, both focusing on young people.
Moments like these remind us that yes, the culture is messy, and yes, we complain a lot, but these two events proved that we already have everything we need to shape the culture ourselves.
