Oscars: Kenya’s Peter Murimi, Director of ‘I Am Samuel’ and ‘The Battle for Laikipia’, Invited to Join the Academy

Kenyan documentary filmmaker Peter Murimi is among the 529 artists and executives invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 2026 class.

According to the Academy, the invitees include 95 Oscar nominees, among them 21 winners, as well as three recipients of the Scientific and Technical Awards. The 2026 class is also 42% women, 56% from underrepresented communities, and 53% from 60 countries and territories outside the United States.

“We are delighted to invite this remarkable group of film artists and professionals from around the world to join the Academy,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. “Through their commitment to filmmaking, this year’s exceptionally talented class has made significant contributions to our global movie industry.”

With nearly two decades in the industry, Murimi is known for directing I Am Samuel, a documentary that follows a Kenyan man navigating love, family and identity in a country where same-sex relationships remain criminalised. The film was produced by Toni Kamau.

In 2021, the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned I Am Samuel, restricting it from screening in Kenya over what it described as “the producer’s clear and deliberate attempt to promote same-sex marriage agenda as an acceptable way of life.” Unlike Rafiki, whose ban was challenged in court by director Wanuri Kahiu, I Am Samuel is yet to have its day in court.

Murimi also directed The Battle for Laikipia alongside Daphne Matziaraki, who co-produced the documentary with Kamau. Released in 2024, the film explores the generations-old conflict between indigenous pastoralists and white landowners in Laikipia, Kenya, where historical injustices and climate change continue to fuel tensions.

In 2025, the Academy extended invitations to six African filmmakers, including Kenya’s Sam Soko (Softie) in the Documentary Branch, the same branch as Murimi. Joining Murimi in the 2026 class are Nigerian-British director Akinola Davies Jr. (My Father’s Shadow) and Nigerian-British actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (My Father’s Shadow), invited to the Short Films and Actors branches respectively. Other African invitees include Egyptian-Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh (Eagles of the Republic), Egyptian production designer Mohamed Attia, Egyptian film editor Ahmed Hafez, and Moroccan producers Karim Aïtouna and Lamia Chraïbi. Notable Hollywood invitees include Jacob Elordi, Teyana Taylor, Jenna Ortega and Bill Skarsgård.

If Murimi accepts the invitation, he will be eligible to vote for Oscar nominees in the Documentary Branch, as well as for the Best Picture nominees, which are voted on by all eligible Academy members.

He will also become the seventh Kenyan to join the Academy, following Soko. Other Kenyans include Lupita Nyong’o, who joined the Actors Branch in 2014; Judy Kibinge, invited to the Documentary Branch in 2017; Wanuri Kahiu, invited to the Directors Branch in 2018; and Toni Kamau and Wanjiru Njendu, who joined the Documentary Branch and the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, respectively, in 2020.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
All reporting, interviews, and reviews on Sinema Focus are protected under international copyright law and the Kenya Copyright Act, 2001. No part of this publication may be reproduced, rewritten, republished, or redistributed in any form by media outlets without prior written consent. For reprint or syndication inquiries, contact editorial@sinemafocus.com.

©️ 2026 Sinema Focus / African Film Press. All rights reserved.