Judy Kibinge

Biography

Judy is the pioneering filmmaker and behind Docubox, The East African Film Fund. Starting her career as a copywriter then Creative Director at McAnn Erickson, the leading advertising agency in East Africa during the 90s, she wrote some of the regions favorite adverts before transitioning to filmmaking and playing a pivotal role in sparking a modern filmmaking movement in Kenya.

She wrote and directed early films like the romantic comedy 'Dangerous Affair' and socially charged narratives such as 'Killer Necklace' (2009) and 'Something Necessary' (2010). Her passion for documentaries, fuelled by her experience creating non-profit videos, is showcased in ‘Headlines in History’ (co-directed with Sir John Akomfrah) and 'Scarred: Anatomy of a Massacre' (2013).

In 2013, Judy established DOCUBOX, the first filmmaker-founded fund in Sub-Saharan Africa dedicated to supporting independent African documentary filmmakers, by offering screenings, grants, labs and hugs. Over the past decade, DOCUBOX has invested nearly $2 million in over a hundred features and short films, training, development and screenings. She's currently trying to raise an endowment fund for the organization and needs all the help she can get to make this happen!

Judy is a founding member of the Creative Economy Working Group (CEWG, an active member of the global D.I.S.C.O network (Decentralised Independent Story + Culture Organisers) and has been part of the Academy of Motion Pictures & Sciences since 2017, serving on the Documentary Branch Executive Committee since 2018.

Her industry efforts were recognized with the an award from Women in Film Kenya for the Most Influential Woman in Film 2021, as well as a Head of State commendation, and a Lifetime Achievement the following year from The Kenya Film Commission.

Judy has been itching to get back into writing and directing for years and is working on two new short fiction films as well as developing a Manifesto Film for African Filmmakers.