Overview
Join us for a new, stand-alone 2-day Wildscreen Festival in Kenya, one of the most actively filmed parts of the natural world. Building on the success of the Wildscreen Festival 2022 Nairobi Hub and with support from BBC Studios Natural History Unit, we're proud to be hosting for the first time, a mini festival outside of the UK, highlighting the importance of Kenya and its storytellers, and cementing its position as the premiere wildlife filming destination in Africa. The programme will speak to our four content pillars: Craft, Business, Talent and Impact. Book your tickets today and join us for a packed two-day programme full of headline speakers, panel sessions, networking and film screenings. Tickets: Full Festival Pass = £60 Concession Festival Pass = £30 Please note that prices are based on your IP address and will be converted from GBP depending on geographical location. Venue: Alliance Française - Nairobi, Utalii Ln, Nairobi, Kenya Date: Friday 30 June - Saturday 1 July 2023
Line-up now announced
Our Full Programme is now here!
Previous
Next
Full Programme
View the Festival Programme Outline here.
Please note that sessions and timings are subject to change.
Where should I stay?
Check out our list of hotel and hostel recommendations close to the venue here including options for all budgets.
Full programme below!
Headliner: In Conversation with Kartiki Gonsalves, interview by Dr Paula Kahumbu
Headliner: WildPitch
Six filmmakers will have 3 minutes to pitch their wildlife project to a jury of leading international commissioners and senior executives live on stage, for the chance to win up to $10,000!
What's included
What's Included
Full Access to Wildscreen Festival Nairobi 30 June - 1 July 2023
Lunch
Screenings
Networking
Wildscreen Network Membership
Gallery
Festival Advisory Board
Meet our Speakers!
Jahawi Bertolli (Host)
Jahawi Bertolli is a National Geographic Explorer, iLCP Associate Fellow, NEWF Fellow and Mentor, American Society of Cinematographers fellow, award-winning filmmaker, musician, photographer, and TV presenter. Growing up in Kenya, Bertolli nurtured a deep curiosity and love for the natural world.
Kartiki Gonsalves
Documentary filmmaker from the Nilgiri mountains in Southern India, Kartiki is the first ever Indian Film Director to win an Academy Award in the history of India for her debut film 'The Elephant Whisperers’.
Dr Paula Kahumbu
CEO of WildlifeDirect
African Conservation Ecologist, wildlife film maker & Presenter
Janet Vissering
SVP, Development & Production, National Geographic. Overseeing the natural history slate and animal content across the channel and NatGeo on Disney+.
Faith Musembi
Faith Musembi is a Producer Director based in Bristol, England. She is drawn to telling narratives which showcase the beauty of Africa’s natural resources, while highlighting the complex, but pertinent issues regarding their sustainable conservation.
Jonny Keeling
Head of Natural History, BBC Studios, Natural History Unit
Peter Ndung'u
An award winning photographer and filmmaker from Nairobi, Kenya with a passion for documenting nature, wildlife and people stories. His goal is to create awareness about nature, the environment, wildlife and culture while encouraging people to actively get involved in conserving the beauty that Africa has to offer.
Caroline Cox
Caroline is Production Executive for BBC Studios, Natural History Unit and has worked across multi genre TV production for nearly 20 years, from Natural History to Factual Entertainment, Daytime to Children’s output. In 2019 she delivered the BBC1 landmark series Seven Worlds, One Planet as Production Manager, before moving into the Production Executive role, where her broad portfolio includes recent BBC1 titles Green Planet, Frozen Planet II and Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History as well as the much anticipated Planet Earth III.
Silvia Museya
Principal Secretary, State Department for Wildlife
Erica Rugabandana
Wildlife cinematographer from Tanzania, with a background in Wildlife Management and community development.
Barbara Lawrence-Strydom
Chief Enlightenment Officer- CEO, BDLS AFRICA. Visionary, storyteller, explorer, strategist, an author, diversity Practitioner, a Transformation Translator, an ESG facilitator and a sort after vision board expert with a passion for capacity building on the continent from board rooms to under Africa's Trees.
Clement Kiragu
A storyteller on a journey to illuminate issues facing predators in Africa, through photography & film. He hopes his work highlights the vital role predators play in keeping balance in nature and calls attention to the extinction risks these species face as their numbers dwindle every year.
Manu Akasta
A documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and animator with a passion for natural history and cultural preservation. Akatsa’s work captures the beauty and complexity of the world around us, while also highlighting the importance of preserving our planet's rich natural and cultural heritage.
Andreas Knausenberger
Director / DOP, Africa Wildlife Productions. A wildlife camera and drone operator based in Kenya. He is the director of Africa Wildlife Productions Ltd, a wildlife production company based in Nairobi. His latest project was filming for "Secrets of the Elephants" for National Geographic and Disney+
Catherine Enane
Outreach Specialist and Theatre Director, The Elephant Queen Outreach Program. Performer, theatre maker and director, currently part of the conservation education and engagement team and Theatre director for The Elephant Queen Outreach program.
Jigar Ganatra
Filmmaker, Director, African School Of Storytelling (AFRISOS). Award-winning Tanzanian filmmaker. He has made films in collaboration with communities in remote areas including the East African Savannah, Amazon Rainforest, and the Himalayas. He is also the cofounder of AFRISOS.
Trish Sewe
Chief of Party-Team Sayari & Nature Positive Kids Outreach, Wildlife Direct.
Chloe Sarosh
Executive Producer, Wildstar Films. Showrunner for the upcoming NatGeo/D+ series Queens exploring female power in nature and supporting the next generation of female filmmakers. She is also Vice Chair of the Wildstar Academy.
Pauline Kyalo
Assistant Film Producer, Wildlife Direct. Environmental Scientist and Filmmaker. Currently, Pauline works as an Assistant Film Producer at WildlifeDirect, producing nature and TV series - #TeamSayari on NatGeo Wild and #WildlifeWarriors.
Feisal Malik
Producer - Director - Cameraman, Visual Africa Films Ltd. an honorary warden with the Kenya Wildlife Service, runs Visual Africa Films Ltd.
Trip Tips
Recommended Hotels
Accommodation Options
Sarova PanAfric Nairobi
Cost:
Single 160USD
Double 180 USD
Walk time to Venue 21 mins
Taxi Time: 5 mins
Distance to Venue: 1.3km
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Thank you to our Partners
FAQs
When is Wildscreen Festival Nairobi
Wildscreen Festival Nairobi will be held over 2 days, from the 30th - 1st July 2023.
Is my registration/ticket transferrable?
Requests to transfer your ticket to an alternative person must be made in writing to hello@wildscreen.org.uk by the 23rd June 2023. Such requests shall be approved or denied by Wildscreen in its sole discretion and a fee may be charged.
Will the event be livestreamed?
No, the event will not be livestreamed, however, sessions will be recorded and shared on the Wildscreen Network Member's area following the event.
Do you offer bursaries?
Yes, we will be offering a number of bursary places which will be open to African storytellers born and living in Africa.
To be notified when these are announced, make sure to sign up to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.
Can I buy tickets on the door?
No, tickets must be purchased in advance due to health and safety and materials provisions.
What is the refund policy?
Once purchased or booked, tickets cannot be refunded or returned unless the event / screening is cancelled, moved to another date.
Am I eligible for the Concession Pass?
During the standard ticket pricing period, a special concession rate will be available at a massive 50% discount from the full pass price, to welcome an even wider audience to our Festival.
You are eligible for this rate if you fall under one of these categories:
Under 25 years old
Student in full-time education
65 years old or over
Unemployed (for UK delegates, this is available only to those in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance and Employment Support Allowance)
Please be prepared to provide proof of eligibility if requested. If you are unsure, please email the team at hello@wildscreen.org.uk.
What is the accessibility of the venue?
Everyone is welcome at Wildscreen Festival. Our team is striving to make sure our event is as accessible and inclusive as possible.
The Alliance Française Venue is wheelchair accessible. Please note that there is a steep ramp to enter the building and auditorium, and assistance may be needed to use the washrooms.
If you have any concerns about access to any of the venues, please do get in touch by emailing hello@wildscreen.org.uk.
Please share any specific access requirements with us via the registration form.
Where should I stay?
Check out our list of hotel and hostel recommendations that are close to the venue here. It includes options for all budgets.
Is there anything else I should know?
You should be aware that you may be photographed or filmed at times throughout the event and the recordings may be distributed.
Visitors must be aged 18 or over to attend Wildscreen Events. We reserve the right to seek confirmation of age if we consider it necessary and you agree to provide such proof of identity and age as we consider reasonably necessary from time to time.
Registration includes important Delegate Updates which we will send you via email as well as subscription to our year-round e-news. Delegate updates contain vital information about accessing the Festival in Nairobi. Should you not wish to receive this information, or our year-round e-news, please click on unsubscribe at the bottom of the last email received. We will never share your email or personal details with anyone else without your consent.
We will always respect your privacy and any personal communication between you and ourselves.
If you can't find the answer on our FAQ, don’t hesitate to ask us.