Great Lakes Lab Picks 13 Producers for 2026 Kigali Edition

The Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab has announced its 2026 participant selection: 13 producers with fiction and documentary features in development, plus two observing producers. The lab runs for one week from Oct. 26 to 30 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Cohort members come from Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. The program includes workshops, one-on-one mentoring and peer sessions focused on creative, leadership and practical skills for developing, financing and delivering films, according to hollywoodreporter.com.

The selected fiction producers include Yasir Faiz of In Deep Visions (Sudan) and Emmanuel Gashumba of Gripmagic Ltd. (Uganda). Among the documentary producers are Phyllis Irungu of House of Magneticah (Kenya) and Inès Girihirwe of Kazi Productions (Rwanda).

2026 is the first year the lab includes observing producers, who attend without a project and focus on long-term career development. The two observers are Fiston Mudacumura of MEB CBC and Fanny Muhorakeye of Imirera Productions, both from Rwanda.

Four people will work with the cohort: Themba Bhebhe, Tiny Mungwe, Perivi Katjavivi and Neigeme Glasgow-Maeda. Bhebhe led diversity and inclusion at the Berlinale's European Film Market from 2017 to 2024, and Glasgow-Maeda founded Luxembourg-based NGM Productions.

Juliana Kabua, a co-founder of Great Lakes, commented on the ambition and talent of African filmmakers.