AFFC (African Female Filmmakers Collective) Storytellers Filmlab Cohort III’s showcase did not hold back on making an impression of ‘bigger and better’, this time at a place most call home, the Kenya National Theatre on Wednesday, 22nd April 2026.
This sentiment isn’t just about the event filled with glamour and blossom, an embodiment of its theme ‘Enchanted Bloom‘, but also the nature of the pieces showcased.
With the short films line-up being, The Last Call, A Quiet Fury, Tainted Confession, Love and Ledger, and Psychotheosis, technical upgrades and evolution in story took root.
Allow me to share some of my favourite picks and expound on the above. Tainted Confessions left a lasting impression not only for its consequence arc, but also as a standout in cinematography and lighting. Aided by natural lighting sure, the film still manages to employ eye candy angles to its shots to ramp up the tension. Speaking of tension, the protagonist played by Karanja Wangui drove the story with dominance and supreme acting chops.
During a live radio interview in Nairobi, a financially guarded woman and her wife are forced to confront the fears beneath their business conflict, as love, money, and public scrutiny test what it means to choose each other without a safety net. That is the premise of Love and Ledger, and yes, it was drama after drama, but what stood out to me was the interviewer, played by Ellah Maina, digging deeper into this conflict for the sake of clicks. This piece was brilliantly performatively driven.
An honorable mention is The Last Call, besides sweeping at the awards sector, the musical score stood out, blending well with the sound effects.
A let-down for most of them was the sound quality, alluding to the sharpness in dialogue making it quite uncomfortable at times when listening to important bits of the story.
All in all, this year’s edition proved a rise in quality and promised more than most look forward to.
To top it all, AFFC has state-of-the-art mobile filmmaking equipment ready for filmmakers around the country, from Telephoto, Anamorphic lenses, and more. Click here for more information.
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