Film funding models in Kenya: An exploration of women filmmakers, 2010 and beyond

National film industries owe their existence to consistent filmmaking. Filmmaking can be self-funded or sponsored by companies, non-governmental organizations, crowdfunding or governmental agencies. This article discusses the experiences of Kenyan women filmmakers with these models. It also teases numerous problematic issues associated with donor funding, which is the prevalent source of financial support for local filmmaking. These include a lack of creative freedom and the imposition of unpopular ideologies. The article responds to the questions: what are the funding routes available to Kenyan women filmmakers? What registers of the idea of Africa are motivated by these different funding routes? The article interviews five Kenyan women filmmakers, qualitatively analysing their responses to shape the discussions of the state of funding women filmmakers in Kenya and the emergent concerns with fund-motivated ideation.