Bigger Motion, the distribution arm of Kenya's LBx Africa, and Kigali-based Kaze Productions have launched CinemaWave Africa, a community-screening initiative for African film, with a debut event at Machakos Social Hall on Sunday, April 19.
The pilot screened "Supa Modo," Likarion Wainaina's 2018 drama about a terminally ill nine-year-old Kenyan girl whose village rallies to make her superhero dreams come true. The film premiered at the 68th Berlinale, where it received a Special Mention from the Generation Kplus jury, and was selected as Kenya's submission to the 91st Academy Awards. It was produced through One Fine Day Films, the workshop initiative founded by Tom Tykwer and Marie Steinmann.
According to the announcement, CinemaWave Africa was born from a shared vision between Bigger Motion and Kaze Productions to bridge the gap between international acclaim and local viewership. Screenings are offered at a subsidized fee to keep them accessible to community members across all ages and backgrounds. The Machakos event drew a mix of families, film enthusiasts, and youth, with DJ Jeorges providing music for what the organizers described as a festival-like atmosphere.
The initiative is positioned as a long-term partnership focused on activating local social spaces beyond traditional urban cinema circuits. Following the Machakos pilot, CinemaWave Africa will begin a regional rollout in the coming months, with the stated aim of building a sustainable network connecting filmmakers and audiences across East Africa. No calendar of dates, locations, or titles has been released.
"Watching 'Supa Modo' light up the Machakos Social Hall reminded us why these stories matter, from the laughter that filled the room to the moments of reflection," Chloe Genga, Head of Impact and Distribution at Bigger Motion, said in the announcement. "That's the spirit of CinemaWave Africa: bringing films back to the communities they come from, and shaping a future where Africans see themselves not only celebrated on screen, but connected through a cinematic culture that is proudly their own."
Bigger Motion is the distribution arm of LBx Africa, the Nairobi-based production company behind the Academy Award–nominated short "Watu Wote." Kaze Productions is described in the announcement as a Kigali-based independent production and distribution house focused on narratives that celebrate African culture and support underrepresented communities through film.
CinemaWave Africa is supported by GIZ — the German Agency for International Cooperation — the EFM Toolbox Distribution Academy, Moving Pictures, Docubox, and Media Education Babelsberg (MEB). The EFM Toolbox Distribution Academy, launched by the Berlinale's European Film Market in October 2025, is a three-year training programme for African film distributors, with a 2026 cohort of seven participants from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. GIZ also co-funds that programme.
