By Wallace Mawire
The Nairobi Earth Film Festival is calling for the 2026 feature length documentaries and short advocacy storytelling film entries on Africa.
The Nairobi Earth Film Festival (NEFF) officially announced the launch of its inaugural 2026 edition, taking place from 26 to 28 June 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya.
NEFF is a new African platform dedicated to environmental storytelling, climate awareness, conservation, and social impact through film, media, and creative expression.
The festival will bring together filmmakers, journalists, environmental advocates, content creators, conservationists, students, cultural actors, and audiences from across Africa and beyond for three days of screenings, dialogue, networking, culture, and climate action.
NEFF reached out to journalists, producers, filmmakers, media professionals, NGOs, advocacy organisations and communication specialists across its networks to encourage submissions of environmental documentaries,short films,advocacy and campaign films,investigative and impact storytelling,wildlife and conservation productions,,community and indigenous knowledge stories and climate justice and sustainability content.
The festival is looking for anyone who has produced or contributed to powerful stories related to the environment, conservation, biodiversity, climate change, resilience or African communities.
The festival aims to position Nairobi as a leading African hub for environmental cinema and public dialogue around the future of the planet.
NEFF 2026 will feature curated film screenings from Africa and around the world,filmmaker masterclasses and workshops,high-level panel discussions and keynote conversations,industry networking and partnership opportunities,cultural performances and environmental activations and youth and community engagement activities.
In addition to the main festival programme, NEFF said it will also organise a special World Environment Day event at the United Nations Office in Nairobi on 5 June 2026,a tree-planting and carbon offset initiative with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) on 24 June 2026 and an environmental outreach and public engagement activities throughout the festival week
They said the festival is expected to bring together institutional partners, environmental leaders, filmmakers, media professionals and public figures committed to sustainability and African storytelling.
NEFF said awards will include Best Film,Best Director,Best Cinematography,Best International Documentary,Best Short Advocacy Film,New Generation Award (Under 35) and the NEFF Honorary Award
NEFF said it seeks to amplify African voices in global environmental storytelling and create a platform where cinema can inspire awareness, dialogue and action.
They added that whether a story focuses on climate justice, wildlife conservation, environmental innovation, indigenous knowledge, women-led initiatives, youth mobilisation, or community resilience voices matters.
They said film submissions are officially open via FilmFreeway, and for submissions, partnerships, sponsorship opportunities and festival updates, prospective participants are expected to visit: www.nairobiearth.com
