Kenyan filmmaker and director Wanuri Kahiu has been named the winner of this year's Spirit of Cinema Award.
Wanuri Kahiu will be honoured during the 28th annual event of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) slated to be held in India on December 8.
The 'Rafiki' director has been recognised for her role in championing progressive values in Kenya.
The award is used to honour the endearing spirit of filmmakers.
Kahiu is the brains behind the controversial Rafiki movie, that was banned in Kenya.
The film, Rafiki was banned by the Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) for promoting LGBTQ values advanced by the film's lesbian relationships theme.
Despite being banned and criticized in Kenya, the film received global acclaim and went on to win various awards.
The 43-year-old filmmaker joins the list of the illustrious filmmakers who have clinched the award. Last year, the award was won by Mahnaz Mohammadi, an Iranian.
Following her win, Kahiu will receive a cash prize of Ksh900,000 that will be presented to her during the Awards ceremony.
Kahiu's other films include From a Whisper, Pumzi, Look Both Ways, and For Our Land.
She has also worked with international filmmakers in other movies.
The filmmaker has won several awards in her career including the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Director.
She has also written a book The Wooden Camel, that tells the story of a camel racer.
She is also the cofounder of AFROBUBBLEGUM a collective of African artists whose ambition is to create fun, frivolous, and fierce work.
