In a historic achievement, Rafiki, Kenya’s first feature film, was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, won the Outstanding Film – Limited Release category at the 31st GLAAD Media Awards in 2020.
Directed by Wanuri Kahiu and starring Sheila Munyiva and Samantha Mugatsia, the film triumphed over strong contenders like Portrait of a Lady on Fire (NEON), Pain & Glory (Sony Pictures Classics), and Brittany Runs a Marathon (Amazon Studios).
The GLAAD Media Awards celebrate media for their fair, accurate, and inclusive portrayals of LGBTQ individuals and issues.
Since 1990, the awards have become the world’s most prominent annual LGBTQ media event, promoting messages of acceptance globally.
GLAAD emphasised the significance of such visibility, stating on their website, “LGBTQ media images are even more of a lifeline for LGBTQ people, especially youth, forced to isolate in homes that might not be affirming.”
Inspired by Monica Arac de Nyeko’s 2017 Caine Prize-winning story Jambula Tree, Rafiki explores the love story of two young women in Kenya, confronting the broader human rights challenges surrounding same-sex relationships in East Africa.
Director Wanuri Kahiu celebrated the win on Twitter, saying, “To our brilliant cast and crew! RAFIKI keeps shining your light! Thank you for being part of this work! We salute you! Thank you @glaad.”
