CANNES, France — Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu's latest feature, "Nairobi Heat," received a four-minute standing ovation at its world premiere in the official selection of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, drawing global attention to Kenya's rapidly maturing film industry.
The film, a neo-noir thriller set against the backdrop of Nairobi's contrasting worlds of wealth and poverty, stars a cast of Kenyan and pan-African actors and was shot entirely on location in the city. It marks Kahiu's most ambitious production to date following her internationally acclaimed debut "Rafiki."
"I wanted to make a film that was unashamedly Nairobi — the sounds, the light, the contradictions, the beauty. This city deserves to be seen on the world's biggest screens."
— Wanuri Kahiu, Director
Global Distribution
Netflix has confirmed it will distribute the film globally, with a Kenyan theatrical release planned for June 2026. The Kenya Film Commission called the premiere "a landmark moment for Kenyan cinema and for African storytelling on the world stage."
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