The Home of African Storytellers™
Where Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Conservation
The African culture and traditions are intertwined with nature. Numerous stories and rituals are influenced by natures cycles of life and re-birth; a story many generations have learnt and passed on, but rarely told by its people to the world.
Pridelands Wildlife Film Festival (PWFF) stands as Africa’s premier platform for wildlife, nature, and environmental storytelling. Our vision is to fundamentally shift global wildlife narratives by empowering African filmmakers to lead conservation dialogues through authentic, culturally-rooted storytelling.
THE NKAANG' FESTIVAL: WHERE AFRICAN STORIES COME HOME
Nkaang‘ – a Maasai word meaning “Home”
PWFF was born from necessity when wildlife conservationist and filmmaker Fiona Tande recognized that African wildlife stories were being extracted, told by outsiders, and rendered inaccessible to the very communities meant to benefit from conservation efforts.
Our Goal:
To recognize, celebrate, and honor the talent, culture, and excellence of African storytellers amongst key international allies and fellow filmmakers.
Our Impact:
The first continental event dedicated to bringing together African storytellers to celebrate films made from their perspectives, in their voices, and on their terms.
Mission
To catalyze a global conservation awakening through the power of authentic African storytelling, uniting cutting-edge filmmaking, indigenous knowledge, and community-led action to protect our natural heritage. We dismantle the outsider gaze by equipping African filmmakers as sovereign narrators of their ecosystems, fostering collaborations that transform film from spectacle into catalyst for tangible change
Vision
A world where every heartbeat of Africa’s wilderness resonates through the uncompromised voices of its people, inspiring a planetary ethos of reciprocity between humanity and nature. We envision African storytelling traditions as the bedrock of global conservation strategy, shifting policies, perceptions, and priorities toward justice-based ecological stewardship.
Evolution of Our Objectives: From Screen to Ecosystem
PWFF transcends the conventional film festival model. Our objectives reflect a layered strategy for narrative sovereignty and ecological justice:
- Narrative Sovereignty:
Cultivate and amplify African-authored stories through our Nkaang’ Awards and curated screenings, prioritizing films that center local ecological knowledge and challenge colonial conservation tropes. - Skills as Resistance:
Demystify filmmaking technology through workshops and industry access, empowering marginalized voices with tools to own their narratives. We bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. - Community as Co-Creators:
Embed participatory storytelling models where indigenous communities are active producers—not subjects—ensuring benefits circle back to conservation frontline communities via revenue-sharing and co-directed projects. - Conservation Through Coalition:
Forge “story-to-action” pipelines linking filmmakers directly with conservation initiatives, transforming films into fundraising and advocacy engines for on-the-ground work. - Global Narrative Infrastructure:
Disrupt traditional distribution channels by building PWFF-owned platforms for African environmental films, ensuring control remains on-continent while maximizing global reach and monetization for creators.
Core Values: The Bones of Our Revolution
These principles anchor every frame we showcase, every alliance we build:
- Ubuntu in Action:
“I am because we are.” We prioritize collective healing and knowledge-sharing over competition. Filmmaking is a sacred trust between storyteller, community, and land. - Frontline Integrity:
Stories must serve those living the conservation reality. We reject extractive filmmaking; consent, credit, and compensation to source communities are non-negotiable. - Radical Innovation:
Embrace technology not as gimmick but as weapon—AI for anti-poaching predictive narratives, VR for immersive empathy-building, drones for community-led land monitoring films. - Unapologetic Authenticity:
Challenge “safari nostalgia” by elevating stories of urban wildlife coexistence, climate justice struggles, and African scientific innovation. Beauty lives alongside truth. - Intergenerational Vigilance:
Mentor youth filmmakers via rural eco-cinema workshops, archiving oral histories into film as living legacies. Elders and youth co-write the future.
Evolution of Our Objectives: From Screen to Ecosystem
PWFF transcends the conventional film festival model. Our objectives reflect a layered strategy for narrative sovereignty and ecological justice:
- Narrative Sovereignty:
Cultivate and amplify African-authored stories through our Nkaang’ Awards and curated screenings, prioritizing films that center local ecological knowledge and challenge colonial conservation tropes. - Skills as Resistance:
Demystify filmmaking technology through workshops and industry access, empowering marginalized voices with tools to own their narratives. We bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. - Community as Co-Creators:
Embed participatory storytelling models where indigenous communities are active producers—not subjects—ensuring benefits circle back to conservation frontline communities via revenue-sharing and co-directed projects. - Conservation Through Coalition:
Forge “story-to-action” pipelines linking filmmakers directly with conservation initiatives, transforming films into fundraising and advocacy engines for on-the-ground work. - Global Narrative Infrastructure:
Disrupt traditional distribution channels by building PWFF-owned platforms for African environmental films, ensuring control remains on-continent while maximizing global reach and monetization for creators.
Core Values: The Bones of Our Revolution
These principles anchor every frame we showcase, every alliance we build:
- Ubuntu in Action:
“I am because we are.” We prioritize collective healing and knowledge-sharing over competition. Filmmaking is a sacred trust between storyteller, community, and land. - Frontline Integrity:
Stories must serve those living the conservation reality. We reject extractive filmmaking; consent, credit, and compensation to source communities are non-negotiable. - Radical Innovation:
Embrace technology not as gimmick but as weapon—AI for anti-poaching predictive narratives, VR for immersive empathy-building, drones for community-led land monitoring films. - Unapologetic Authenticity:
Challenge “safari nostalgia” by elevating stories of urban wildlife coexistence, climate justice struggles, and African scientific innovation. Beauty lives alongside truth. - Intergenerational Vigilance:
Mentor youth filmmakers via rural eco-cinema workshops, archiving oral histories into film as living legacies. Elders and youth co-write the future.
Africa faces intersecting crises: biodiversity collapse, climate injustice, and cultural erasure. Yet mainstream conservation remains dominated by non-African perspectives.
PWFF is the counter-pulse.
We are not asking for a seat at the table—we’re building our own table from African soil.
Our films prove community-led conservation works. Our tech demystifies access. Our awards celebrate insurgent voices. This is #TheAfricanStoryRising.
Rooted in Africa, Resonating Globally®
Join the Story Rising Movement
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Mission
- Celebrate and honor the talent, culture, and excellence of African storytellers in the realm of wildlife and conservation.
- Bridge the gap between local African communities and the global audience, ensuring that stories of wildlife and conservation are accessible, accurately represented, and told by those who live them.
- Foster a community-centric environment where African filmmakers and international allies unite to exchange ideas, skills, and stories.
- Champion the power of African storytellers in altering global narratives about wild Africa, by providing a platform for their emerging and crucial voices in conservation and wildlife filmmaking.
Objectives
- Community Engagement and Empowerment: Establish PWFF as a “homecoming” event for filmmakers, where the community, rooted in African perspectives, can gather to celebrate and embrace each other’s work. This includes involving local communities in film production and storytelling processes to ensure authentic representation and inclusion.
- Skills Development and Capacity Building: Provide masterclasses, workshops, and networking sessions aimed at enhancing the skills of African filmmakers, facilitating their growth in the competitive industry of wildlife filmmaking, and fostering sustainable solutions and collaborations in conservation efforts.
- Conservation Awareness and Collaboration: Highlight and support conservation projects through festival activities and excursions, giving storytellers direct access to conservation works for potential collaboration and deeper understanding.
- Recognition and Celebration of Talent: Host film awards and screenings to showcase the diverse range of films from both emerging African talent and international industry professionals, celebrating excellence in wildlife and conservation storytelling.
- Global Narrative Shift: Work towards changing the way the world views wild Africa, by amplifying the voices of African storytellers and ensuring their narratives are heard and valued on an international stage.
Pridelands Wildlife Film Fest, Africa’s premier wildlife, conservation, nature and environmental film festival. Immerse yourself in the beauty of Africa and the majesty of its natural world as captured using the powerful tool of film and storytelling. Join us for a few unforgettable days celebrating biodiversity and conservation as practiced on the continent and globally. Connect with filmmakers, industry professionals, and nature enthusiasts from Africa and beyond. Experience an inspiring event showcasing Africa’s wilderness and igniting global conservation dialogue.
Pridelands Wildlife Film Festival, the 3rd edition.
- Dates: May 29th – 31st 2024
- Location: Nairobi, Kenya
- Venue: Nairobi Street Kitchen
A proud initiative of
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