Docubox – East African Documentary Film Fund has selected five filmmakers from Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda for its 2026 Short Fiction Development Grant & Lab, a new initiative supporting the development of short fiction projects in East Africa.
Run in partnership with the French Embassy in Kenya, the programme will award each filmmaker €2,500, bringing the total development funding to €12,500. The selected participants will also receive three months of online mentorship in screenwriting, story development and pitching, followed by an in-person industry participation in Talent Connexion and other industry activities at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, scheduled for 28 January to 5 February 2027.
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The selection was announced on 18 October during Shorts, Shorts & Shots 2026: Animation Edition, held at Docubox in Nairobi.
The selected filmmakers are Joshua Faber (Tanzania) with Bibi Titi – A Walk to Freedom; Kenya’s Wanjeri Gakuru with Listen and Naddya Adhiambo Oluoch-Olunya with Uzi; Maria Byoma (Uganda) with Searching in Ssingo; and Ganza Moise (Rwanda) with Bituri.
The filmmakers were selected through an open call. According to Docubox, applicants were required to have experience writing or directing at least two short films or audiovisual works screened at festivals, cinemas, on television or on video-on-demand platforms.
The programme is focused on the development stage, with participants working to strengthen their screenplays and prepare projects for potential production partners and financiers.
“Development is where strong films begin, yet it remains one of the most underfunded stages of filmmaking,” said Susan Mbogo, Executive Director of Docubox. “Through our partnership with the French Embassy in Kenya, these grants give independent East African filmmakers the support to shape authentic African stories and strengthen our film ecosystem from the ground up.”
Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu (Rafiki) will lead the screenwriting and story development component of the programme.
South African producer Tiny Mungwe will lead pitching mentorship. Mungwe is a co-creator of the Future Mentors programme associated with Durban FilmMart and Berlinale Talents. She has also served as a programme adviser for Africa at Locarno Film Festival and is part of the artistic team for Locarno Open Doors’ 2025–2028 focus on Africa.
Through individual and group sessions, participants will work on their scripts, character development and narrative structure, as well as materials including pitch decks, character bibles, mood boards and financing plans.
To connect the filmmakers with the international short film industry through Talent Connexion at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Docubox is working with the French Embassy in Kenya to support the East African delegation’s participation.
“What you are doing here is giving a voice to African filmmakers, and that matters enormously,” said France’s Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Wadid Benaabou. “It is important that we hear not just one narrative, but many narratives, including those emerging from East Africa. It is wonderful to hear stories from New York and Paris, but it is equally important to hear stories from Nairobi, Kigali, Kampala and Dar es Salaam.”
Speaking about the importance of international access, Benaabou added: “France is committed to supporting Kenya and its film industry. While funding is important, support is not only about financing; it is also about creating access to opportunities and international platforms. Access matters tremendously.”
The programme further seeks to establish an East African Showcase, bringing the filmmakers together with potential co-producers, funders, distributors and other industry professionals. The showcase aims to increase the visibility of East African short fiction projects, encourage collaboration and open conversations around financing, production and distribution.
Established in 2013, Docubox supports independent East African filmmakers through grants, development programmes, workshops and industry networking. The organisation says it has supported more than 150 films through over US$1.5 million in production grants.
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