BIOGRAPHY

Wanuri Kahiu is a filmmaker and writer whose work has significantly impacted global cinema. Her work often blends African culture, history, and speculative fiction to challenge conventional narratives and envision progressive futures for the continent. 

Kahiu's directorial debut came in 2006 with the short film RAS STAR, which tells the story of Amani, a teenage rapper in Nairobi. Her next film, FROM A WHISPER (2008), commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. The film's profound storytelling earned it five awards at the 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, including Best Director and Best Picture.

In 2009, she directed PUMZI, a science fiction short set in a dystopian Africa that explores themes of environmental degradation and post-apocalyptic survival. The film was lauded for its innovative storytelling and visual effects, leading to its selection at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010. 

Kahiu's 2018 feature, RAFIKI, is a poignant love story between two young Kenyan women. The first Kenyan film to screen at Cannes, it challenged societal norms and sparked global conversations about LGBTQ+ rights in Africa, even as it remains banned in Kenya.

Beyond filmmaking, Kahiu co-founded AFROBUBBLEGUM, a media collective dedicated to supporting “fun, fierce and frivolous African art.” This initiative reshapes global perceptions of Africa by celebrating its rich cultures and narratives. In 2019, TIME magazine named her as one of its 100 Next recognizing her as a rising global leader. She is also a cultural leader for the World Economic Forum.

She is currently writing an Animation Film in conjunction with TriggerFish, South Africa. Wanuri is also in post-production on a feature-length documentary GER about UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Ger Duany, WHO AM I, a short documentary about National Identity and a fractionally fictional documentary about a Nairobi-based indie-pop group JUST A BAND.  

Kahiu's recent projects include directing LOOK BOTH WAYS (2022), a Netflix film starring Lili Reinhart, and WASHINGTON BLACK (2025) for Hulu/20th Century Fox, an adaptation of Esi Edugyan's acclaimed novel. She is also slated to direct Disney's adaptation of the musical ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. Kahiu was appointed as a juror for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, alongside Ava Cahen and Daniel Kaluuya.

Her dedication to storytelling transcends mediums; she co-authored the short story "RUSTIES" with Nnedi Okorafor, published in Clarkesworld Magazine in 2016, and penned the children's book THE WOODEN CAMEL in 2017.