Wanuri Kahiu
Wanuri Kahiu is a Kenyan filmmaker, writer, and producer known for bringing African stories to international audiences. Born in Nairobi in 1980, she studied Management Science at the University of Warwick and later earned an MFA in Film Directing from UCLA. She is best known for her science-fiction short film Pumzi (2009), which explores a futuristic Africa affected by environmental destruction and water scarcity. Her feature film Rafiki (2018), about two young women who fall in love in Kenya, became the first Kenyan feature to screen at the Cannes Film Festival. Kahiu is also a co-founder of AFROBUBBLEGUM, a creative movement that promotes fun, bold, and imaginative African art. Her work often combines Afrofuturism, social issues, African identity, and positive representations of the continent.