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We’re thrilled to announce that What Kept Me Up has been awarded €20,000 in funding, as part of a collaborative effort with Sinemafocus (founded by Jennifer Ochieng in East Africa) and Akoroko (founded by Tambay Obenson). Together, we are forming the African Film Press, a pioneering press alliance that will unify our independent efforts.
This funding was secured through the Moving Pictures Distribution & Social Impact Incubator, a program sponsored by German Agency for International Cooperation (GiZ) and organised by Some Fine Day Pix, which took us across Lagos, Kigali, and Nairobi in 2024 to develop strategies for strengthening African film distribution and audience cultivation.
Beyond our journalistic project that plays an often overlooked role in the distribution stage of filmmaking, two other pan-African initiatives that also received funding are:
The African International Short Film Market (AISFM), a marketplace dedicated to connecting short filmmakers with global distributors through annual events and a year-round digital platform. This project is spearheaded by Gbenga Adeoti (Nigeria), Kagabo Nkubiri (Rwanda), and Theodore Ishimwe (Rwanda). A virtual launch event is slated for March 28, 2025.
The Screen Connect – A Pan-African initiative focused on empowering cinemas by curating quality African films while ensuring fair compensation and sustainable distribution. This effort is led by Selvin Marete (Kenya), Cassandra Onwualu (Nigeria), and Mizero Kabano Yannick (Rwanda).
As WKMUp pushes forward under African Film Press, our goal is clear: to strengthen independent film journalism, offer more objective reporting, and amplify the voices often overlooked in industry coverage.
Journalism—especially film journalism—remains underfunded, and this marks an important step toward sustainability. While we prepare for a larger kickoff and continue to seek additional resources— participating in the EFM Startups 2025 at the Berlinale, for example—we’re excited about the future and can’t wait to share what’s next.
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