The 14th Kalasha International Film and Television Awards in Kenya celebrated the best in Kenyan film and television this weekend, with… Nawi: Dear future me It emerged as the biggest winner with five honors, including Best Picture and Best Lead Actress.
The Best Picture award went to producers Lydia Wrench, Carolyn Heim and Brezan Ware, and the Best Actress award went to Michelle Lemuya Ekenye. I intend to It also won awards for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design, in addition to the Audience Award.
The Kenyan-German coming-of-age drama, which was Kenya’s entry for the Best International Feature Film race at the 2025 Academy Awards, tells the story of a talented young girl, portrayed by Lemuya, who fights child marriage in hopes of education and self-determination. Lemuya also won the African Film Academy Award for Most Promising Actress for her role. Set in the remote Turkana region of Kenya, the film’s cast also includes Joel Lewan, Uchungu Benson, Ben Tiki, Michel Chebet Therrien, Patrick Okech, Nongo Marian Akinyi and Nyokabi Macharia.
I intend to The film revolves around a girl who is the best student in her area, and whose ambitions to attend high school are dashed when she learns that her father plans to marry her to a stranger to ensure that the family has a large amount of livestock. Nawi’s father is rooted in tribal traditions, while her three mothers are restricted by their traditional roles. So Nawi runs away on her wedding night.
The film was directed by brothers Toby and Kevin Schmutzler, as well as Abu Morin and Valentin Celuge, from a screenplay by Milkah Širotić, and was released in the United States by New Mountain Films on March 6, ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8. Produced in collaboration between FilmCrew Media and Baobab Pictures with Turkana-based NGO Learning Lions, which focuses on educational opportunities and social empowerment for youth, the film is based on the screenplay that was the result of a national writing competition.
Political influence campaign related I intend toWhich focuses on educational opportunities for girls in Kenya and education related to child marriage, and has raised more than $1.75 million.
