The year started off with a bang for Kenyans in the film industry. We now know that we have legendary stories to tell that could win the world’s acclaim. A Kenyan film was nominated for the Oscar awards and it’s a big deal!

Here are the four films you just have to watch.

Watu Wote (2016)

This heart wrenching story of the Muslim passengers who protected Christian passengers during the Mandera attack won in the Student Oscars in 2017 and nearly won Best Short Film in the Oscars in 2018.

Kati Kati (2016)

Imagine waking up in a strange place with no recollection of who you are only to discover that you are dead. Well, that’s the premise of the story. Kaleche has to navigate the afterlife in this surreal place with the help of other dead people.  Kati Kati bagged a variety of international accolades including; Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, New Voices/New Visions Award Special Mention at the 2017 Palm Springs International Festival and The Filmpris (Film Prize) at the 19th CinemAfrica Film Festival in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Roadside

This is one of the first films that Lupita Nyong’o starred in. This was before 12 Years a Slave. Before the acclaim she got for Black Panther. It is all about love, the resolution of conflicts in relationships and the possibilities that lie beyond.

Super Modo (2017)

A terminally ill girl has one wish, to be a superhero. The entire village goes out of their way to make the little girl’s dream a reality. They made a film and got the little girl to star in it. It is a spectacularly moving movie that premiered in the 2018 Berlin Film Festival.