Lessons from the Nairobi Film Festival: AFTTTI Students Experience The Power of Kenyan Storytelling

Written by Edwin Agesa on Tuesday, 29 October 2025.

Last Saturday, Prestige Plaza Cinemas hosted the closing screenings of the Nairobi Film Festival, and among those in attendance were students from AFTTTI Training Institute, accompanied by Icon Radio. The day was not just about watching films, it was an immersion into storytelling, creativity, and the real-world practice of filmmaking. Two films stood out during the session: The People Shall and John Johnte Johny. Both tackled very different subjects but carried one common thread, authenticity in storytelling.

The People Shall: Documenting the Pulse of a Nation

The People Shall is a thought-provoking film directed by Nick Wambugu and edited by Mark Maina. The documentary focuses on Kenya’s 2024 nationwide demonstrations, particularly the June protests against the Finance Bill. These protests, largely driven by youth and women, were some of the most defining civic actions in the country’s recent history.

The film captures the intensity of those moments — from street marches to social media mobilization, offering both emotion and insight. It doesn’t just show chaos; it documents courage, frustration, and hope. The filmmakers put themselves in the thick of it, filming from the streets, at times at personal risk. Their goal was simple: to let Kenyans tell their own story of resistance and demand for change.

Students from AFTTTI who attended the screening were struck by the film’s structure and rawness. It combined live footage, personal stories, and drone shots to create a complete narrative that felt immediate and powerful. The editing, done by Maina, stitched together hundreds of hours of footage into a cohesive story that balanced realism with emotional depth.

Beyond the filmmaking craft, The People Shall holds an important lesson, that cinema can be a tool for activism and historical documentation. For students pursuing careers in film, it was a reminder that storytelling can be both beautiful and brave.

John Johnte Johny: A Creative Take on Nairobi Dating

If The People Shall brought the intensity of politics and protest, John Johnte Johny offered a refreshing, creative, and humorous look at everyday life. The film explores Nairobi’s modern dating scene, a mix of charm, confusion, and irony that many young people can relate to.

But what made John Johnte Johny truly stand out was its presentation. The film’s screening included live table readings and a Q&A session between the writer, cast, and audience. As the film played, the audience got to hear directly from the people behind it, their inspirations, challenges, and intentions. This hybrid approach transformed the cinema into an interactive storytelling classroom.

For AFTTTI students, it was an eye-opening experience. Many had never witnessed this kind of format before — one that blurred the line between screening and stage performance. It offered them insight into the creative process and how dialogue, character development, and audience engagement can all coexist in one event.

The film’s portrayal of the “Nairobi dating pool” , full of irony and social commentary,  resonated strongly with the young audience. It also showed that Kenyan filmmakers are experimenting more with both content and form, creating films that speak directly to their generation.

A Festival Experience with Lasting Lessons

For AFTTTI, attending the Nairobi Film Festival wasn’t just an outing, it was a masterclass. The partnership with Icon Radio and participation in such events expose students to the realities of film culture beyond the classroom. They get to network, learn from industry professionals, and see firsthand how films are received by real audiences.

The contrasting themes of The People Shall and John Johnte Johny provided a perfect learning balance: one showed the power of film as a voice for social change, while the other highlighted innovation, humor, and creative risk-taking.

As the festival came to an end, one thing was clear, Kenya’s film industry is evolving fast, and platforms like the Nairobi Film Festival are shaping the next generation of storytellers. For the students of AFTTTI, the experience reaffirmed that film is not just entertainment, it’s expression, reflection, and revolution all in one frame.

Edwin Agesa AKA Bloga Flani is a music journalist, podcaster and digital creator.