In the evolving landscape of African cinema, a new generation of filmmakers is redefining how stories are created, distributed, and experienced. Among them is Ivy Wangui Muiruri, a Kenyan film producer, emerging distributor, and founder of XXIV Underground. Based in Nairobi, Ivy represents a growing movement of young African creatives determined to transform filmmaking from a passion-driven craft into a sustainable industry.
During an interview with Just Women Africa, Ivy shared her inspiring journey from aspiring actress to producer, offering insight into her vision for authentic African storytelling, the challenges facing women in film, and her mission to build stronger cinema audiences across Africa.
From Acting Dreams to Film Production
Ivy’s journey into film began with a childhood love for movies. Initially, she dreamed of becoming an actor after spending years watching films that inspired her imagination. After high school, she enrolled in university to study performing arts and acting.
However, while studying acting, she discovered that filmmaking extended far beyond what appeared on screen. Curiosity about the people working behind the scenes pushed her to research the different departments involved in production. Her exposure to film sets in Kenya as an actor further deepened her fascination with the craft of filmmaking itself.
Determined to expand her knowledge, Ivy applied to film school while still pursuing her university degree. It was there that she realized production was where she truly belonged.
She explained that producing appealed to her because of her love for organization, coordination, and storytelling. Unlike producers who only handle logistics during filming, Ivy wanted to be involved from the earliest stages of development shaping stories alongside writers and ensuring productions were thoughtfully planned from beginning to end.
“Filmmaking Is About Relationships”
One of Ivy’s earliest projects, Life is a Play, became a defining learning experience in her career. Produced while she was still in school, the short film taught her one of the most important lessons in filmmaking: success depends heavily on relationships and collaboration.
With limited resources available, she relied on friends who owned cameras, knew editing, or had access to filming locations. Through that experience, she learned that filmmaking is not only about artistic talent but also about communication, teamwork, and building meaningful professional networks.
She also gained firsthand experience managing creative personalities and balancing different perspectives while keeping the film’s vision intact skills that would later shape her career as a producer.
Defining Authentic African Storytelling
For Ivy, authentic African storytelling is rooted in realism and cultural resonance. She believes African stories should reflect the lived experiences, cultures, and identities of African people rather than imitate external narratives.
She emphasized that Africa is incredibly diverse, with 54 countries and countless ethnic communities, meaning authenticity can look different across regions. What matters most is whether audiences can see themselves reflected in the stories being told.
To Ivy, authentic storytelling is about creating films that Africans understand emotionally and culturally stories that feel like mirrors rather than distant portrayals.
Recognition and the Power of Networking
As her projects gained attention, Ivy received nominations for major awards, experiences she says helped her build valuable relationships across the continent.
The recognition opened doors for conversations with filmmakers from countries such as Nigeria and Zambia, expanding her understanding of African cinema beyond Kenya. More importantly, those moments confirmed for her that filmmaking was no longer just a creative hobby but a business and long-term career path.
Networking, she noted, remains one of the most powerful tools for emerging filmmakers.
Challenges Facing Women in Film
Like many young producers in Africa, Ivy identified funding as one of the industry’s biggest obstacles. Access to consistent financing remains difficult, forcing many filmmakers to take on commercial and corporate projects simply to sustain themselves financially.
She also reflected on the gender dynamics within the film industry. Entering what often appeared to be a male-dominated space initially felt intimidating. Yet Ivy credits many women mentors and industry professionals for helping her grow, opening doors for her even when she was inexperienced.
She also highlighted the unique pressures women face on film sets, especially regarding long working hours, safety concerns, and balancing family responsibilities. These realities, she noted, are often scrutinized more heavily for women than for men.
Despite these challenges, Ivy remains optimistic about the increasing number of women entering technical and leadership positions within African filmmaking.
The Nuru Cinema Project: Building Africa’s Future Audiences
One of Ivy’s most ambitious initiatives is the Nuru Cinema Project, a program designed to introduce African cinema to high school students.
The idea emerged after participating in the European Film Market Distribution Academy in Germany. During her residency, Ivy observed how European countries cultivate cinema culture from an early age through school cinema programs that regularly take students to theaters.
She realized that one of Africa’s biggest challenges is not a lack of audiences, but rather a lack of exposure to African films and cinema-going culture among young people.
Through the Neuro Cinema Project, Ivy partners with schools, cinemas, and filmmakers to organize screenings of African films for students. The initiative also includes discussions with teachers and, when possible, Q&A sessions with filmmakers.
Unlike community outreach programs that offer free screenings, Ivy intentionally designed the project as a theatrical distribution model. Students pay discounted ticket prices, ensuring filmmakers and producers can still generate revenue from their work.
For Ivy, sustainability is essential. She believes African filmmakers must stop viewing film purely as passion projects and start treating them as viable business products.
Film as Both Art and Business
Throughout the interview, Ivy repeatedly stressed the importance of understanding filmmaking as a business.
She observed that many emerging producers focus solely on completing films without considering distribution, audience targeting, or revenue generation. According to her, producers must think beyond production and develop clear strategies for where and how their films will be seen.
A film, she argued, is meant to be watched. Therefore, understanding audiences and distribution channels is just as important as creative development.
This business-minded perspective is central to Ivy’s long-term vision for African cinema.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Ivy hopes to expand XXIV Underground into a major production and distribution company that creates opportunities for young African creatives while helping filmmakers generate income through stronger distribution systems.
She also wants to see African cinema balance commercial success with social impact. In her view, filmmakers carry a responsibility to shape conversations, influence perspectives, and contribute to civic awareness through storytelling.
For Ivy Wangui Muiruri, filmmaking is more than entertainment. It is a tool for cultural reflection, economic empowerment, and social transformation.
As African cinema continues to grow on the global stage, voices like hers are helping define what the future of the industry could become authentic, sustainable, collaborative, and deeply rooted in African realities.
