MATATU FILM STAGE 3RD EDITION
Matatu Film Stage (MFS) is a travelling pan-African film festival that brings bold, original cinema from Africa and its diaspora to audiences across the continent and beyond.
The festival began in Uganda and takes its inspiration from the matatu — the colourful public minibuses that move people, stories, music, and ideas through East African cities. In the same spirit, Matatu Film Stage is built around movement. It carries films into different spaces and communities, transforming everyday places into vibrant stages for African storytelling.
Now in its 3rd Edition (2025–2026), the festival continues its journey under the theme “Cinema Is Food, But People Are Starving.” This edition premiered in Kampala (4–10 October 2025) and continues travelling across Uganda while expanding beyond borders to Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, the United Kingdom, and beyond.
Each stop brings together curated film screenings, filmmaker conversations, workshops, and community gatherings, creating spaces where audiences and filmmakers can meet, exchange ideas, and celebrate African creativity.
Matatu Film Stage is a moving cultural platform where African stories travel, connect, and reach new audiences.
🚐 Driving African Stories Home.
The 3rd edition of Matatu Film Stage began with its flagship launch in Kampala, followed by regional and community screenings across Uganda including Jinja in partnership with Nyege Nyege Festival
From there, the festival continues its journey across seven countries, including the UK, carrying African cinema into new spaces and conversations.
FESTIVAL TIMELINE
uGANDA - London - Kigali - Nairobi - dar es salaam - Harare - accra
festival partners
