What It’s Like To… Run a Film Festival in Nairobi
Sheba Hirst never expected to find herself working in the arts. Despite growing up in a creatively vibrant household — her graphic designer father and book publisher mother are founders of a gallery central to Kenya's arts and intellectual scene in the ‘60s and ‘70s — Hirst originally had different ambitions.
“I actually thought I was going to be a lawyer. I grew up in the arts, but I wanted something more conservative and corporate… something with better financial prospects,” she recalls. However, life took her in a different direction.
Today, Hirst is the co-founder and director of the Nairobi Film Festival, Kenya’s leading platform for African filmmakers. After a two-year hiatus caused by the decline in post-pandemic arts funding, the festival returned in person on October 17.
“During the pandemic, we had to take a break, which was tough,” Hirst tells OkayAfrica from her car the day before opening night, squeezing the interview into her hectic schedule. “But it gave us a chance to rethink our purpose. Filmmakers have been eagerly waiting for this moment, and it’s really humbling to see the excitement.”
Running the NBO Film Festival is no small task. Hirst and her team will run 26 short and feature-length films – including Ramata-Toulaye Sy’sBanel & Adama, Baloji’s Omen, and Kizazi Moto – across three locations in different parts of Nairobi. The festival will also feature talks and sessions over its 10-day span.
“We have a team of film enthusiasts who are always searching for films that stand out aesthetically, demonstrate craftsmanship, and have something meaningful to say,” she explains. “We’ve also opened submissions globally, and the response has been overwhelming, with entries coming from all over the world.”
Despite the growth, at the heart of the festival remains a strong commitment to Kenyan and African cinema. This year, the festival opened with the national premiere of The Battle For Laikipia, produced by Toni Kamau and directed by Pete Murimi and Daphne Matziaraki. This dynamic film tells the story of indigenous pastoralists and fifth-generation white Kenyans, both of whom call Laikipia home.
“We started with a focus on Kenyan films, then expanded to include African films, and now we’re incorporating the African diaspora,” Hirst says. “Our goal is to showcase films that resonate with our audience and push boundaries.”
In parts edited for length and clarity, Hirst reflects on her journey with the NBO Film Festival, how it has evolved, and her focus as the festival director.
Photo by Short Wave.
This year’s edition of NBO Film Festival features 26 short and feature-length films, as well as panel sessions and talks, over the course of 10 days.
Sheba Hirst: I grew up surrounded by the arts. But despite this, I thought I would do something more traditional. However, after meeting my husband, a musician, I was drawn right back into the arts.
I developed a deep interest in film while I was in college in the U.S. It started when I watched my first African film, La Vie est Belle, with a group of African students. I remember being shocked that, despite growing up on the continent, I had never seen an African film in a cinema before. I couldn’t understand how that was possible. It made me question why, even though African cinema was so prominent in places like West Africa and North Africa, it was so much less visible in Kenya.
But for a long time, I didn’t do much with my interest in film until my long-time creative collaborator, Mbithi Masya, transitioned from being a graphic designer to becoming a filmmaker. He made the film Kati Kati, which was beautiful. Watching him go through the process of making a feature film felt like watching someone run a marathon. His film did incredibly well, winning the Discovery Prize at the Toronto Film Festival and being celebrated at festivals worldwide.
When Mbithi realized there wasn’t a film festival in Nairobi to premiere his work, it struck us both. We sketched out a plan for a festival, building it around the premiere of Kati Kati. I had experience organizing music festivals, and I knew what a great festival felt like in an African context. That’s how the NBO Film Festival began.
Photo by Short Wave.
NBO Film Festival co-founders Sheba Hirst and Mbithi Masya.
When it comes to government support, it's frustrating. Many major city-based festivals receive backing from their city governments. We've reached out to the Kenyan government but haven't found the right partner yet. The Kenya Film Commission has supported us in the past, but we need something more consistent. Constantly fighting for survival is exhausting and taxing on the people behind the festival.
As an arts manager, I have to consider whether this is fair to the team. They pour so much of themselves into making the event happen, with little financial reward. In this post-COVID world, we're more conscious of wellness and mental health in the workplace. It’s hard to ignore that the difficulty in securing financing is wearing down the people who make the festival a reality.
Censorship has been another huge challenge. For the last three editions, we’ve had films banned by Kenya’s film board. The censorship around LGBTQIA+ films, in particular, has been a point of contention. We believe the artistic space should be one where ideas can be freely explored and discussed. It's disheartening when local content is restricted while similar themes in international films are accessible.
It feels unjust that Kenyan filmmakers face these barriers in their own country. We’re working to show the corporate sector how powerful a partnership with the film industry could be. I keep showing up because I feel like we’re on the cusp of something great.
Photo by Short Wave.
NBO Film Festival co-founder Sheba Hirst says that despite the barriers Kenyan filmmakers face in their country, she keeps showing up because she believes the industry is on the cusp of something great.
One of the things I'm especially proud of is how artist-centered the festival has become. The filmmaking community in Nairobi has embraced it, integrating it into their release strategies. When we had to take a break for a few years, filmmakers were almost angry with us. They trusted and respected what we had built. Coming from a completely different sector, that trust meant a lot.
We set out to be a platform for African films to be seen on the international stage, and the festival has done that. Filmmakers tell us that premiering at the NBO Film Festival gave them visibility, both in Kenya and internationally. It also gave them credibility and added dignity to their work, especially within their home context.
It wasn’t just about visibility. Films that premiered at our festival often had better runs in local cinemas afterward. The festival wasn’t just a one-time event — it spurred longer-term success.
Another achievement is how we’ve expanded the aesthetic language young filmmakers are exposed to. The festival has shown them what’s being made in other parts of Africa and the Black diaspora, opening up new possibilities for their craft.
For me, it's also about the stories. The only way to get better at storytelling is through practice, and that’s where many of our art forms struggle. Our technical crews are fantastic because they work all the time, but storytelling needs the same space to grow. That’s what the festival provides — a chance to practice, evolve and get better.
At the end of the day, I believe in stories because they have the power to heal. Stories allow us to experience the full range of human dilemmas and truths. That’s why I keep doing this work.