Brief
Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab announces 2026 African cohort
Fifteen producers, including four mentors, will attend a week‑long lab in Rwanda to develop fiction and documentary projects.
By Felo News Desk · Published
The Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab has revealed its 2026 cohort, comprising 13 producers with projects in development and two observers. The week‑long program runs Oct. 26‑30 in Kigali, Rwanda.
What happened
The selected producers hail from Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. Participants will engage in workshops, one‑on‑one mentoring and peer sessions aimed at building creative, leadership and practical skills for international competition while preserving local voices.
What the reports add
The lab introduces observing producers for the first time; they attend without a project to focus on long‑term career development. Four mentors will work closely with the cohort: Themba Bhebhe, former diversity & inclusion lead at the Berlinale’s European Film Market; South African producer Tiny Mungwe, known for the pan‑African anthology Generation Africa; Namibian writer‑director Perivi Katjavivi, whose feature Under the Hanging Tree premiered at Rotterdam; and Neigeme Glasgow‑Maeda, the first Trinidadian producer with a Cannes‑selected film.
What was said
“African filmmakers have the ambition, the talent and the stories,” Juliana Kabua, a founder of Great Lakes, told The Hollywood Reporter. “The strongest industry will be built by producers who work across borders, and the Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab is a catalyst for that.”
Key facts
- The 2026 Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab cohort includes 13 producers and 2 observers. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- The lab runs from Oct. 26 to Oct. 30 in Kigali, Rwanda. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Four mentors are Themba Bhebhe, Tiny Mungwe, Perivi Katjavivi and Neigeme Glasgow‑Maeda. (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Participants come from Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, DRC, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda. (hollywoodreporter.com)
Sources
- [1] hollywoodreporter.com — originally reported as “Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab Unveils Cohort of 15 Film Producers From Seven African Countries”
