The bravery of African women.
Wawkumba Film is an independent International Sales and Distribution company, founded in Senegal in 2023 by two cinema enthusiasts — Oumou Diégane Niang and Sokhna Aïssatou Camara. The company was born from the desire to share "The African Dream" with the world.
Created with the mission of promoting "The African Dream", Wawkumba Film operates in a context shaped by the gradual disappearance of African cinemas born in the 1960s — following the structural adjustment policies of that era. Oumou Diégane Niang and Sokhna Aïssatou Camara belong to a generation that did not experience, in childhood, the magic of collective cinema screenings. It is this very dream they wish to bring back to African audiences.
Wawkumba Film stands out through its innovative approach: it is among the first structures dedicated to distribution and international sales based in French-speaking West Africa. The company is actively committed to promoting the role of women and cultural sovereignty across the production, distribution and marketing of African films.
In Wolof, Wawkumba evokes the courage and strength of women — a rallying cry encouraging Senegalese women to excel in a society that is both matriarchal and profoundly feminist. The name pays tribute to Africa and, more specifically, to the founders' mothers, both named Kumba.
We address an audience that is the youngest in the world — 70% of Africans are under 35 — and that will soon be the largest, with a population of 2.5 billion by 2050.
Films premiered at the world's leading festivals.
Liti Liti (2025) by Mamadou Khouma Gueye — Visions du Réel premiere, Tanit d'Or for Best Documentary Feature at JCC Carthage, Audience Award at the Festival des 3 Continents (Nantes), Grand Prix Feature and Special Mention from the Critics at Saint-Louis Docs.
Demba (2024) by Mamadou Dia — unveiled at the Berlinale, Tanit de Bronze at JCC Tunisia and Grand Prix at Luxor African Film Festival.
Le Mouton de Sada (2023) by Pape Bouname Lopy — Special Jury Mention at FESPACO 2023 (Perspectives), Silver Pearl at FIFEJ Sousse 2025, Screenplay Award at the Maghreb Film Festival of Oujda 2024.
2002, Bataille contre l'oubli by Abdoul Aziz Basse — UEMOA Special Prize for Best Documentary at FESPACO, Best Documentary Short at Vues d'Afrique, Wido National Prize at Saint-Louis Docs, UEMOA Integration Prize at Clap Ivoire.
Ne réveillez pas l'enfant qui dort (2025) by Kevin Aubert — Special Jury Prize in the International Short Film category at the Berlinale.
Timis (2023) by Awa Moctar Gueye — National Grand Prix Annette d'Erneville at Dakar Court, Best Fiction Film at the Émergence Festival (Togo).
Soxamoon (2025) by Ibou Barry Combé — produced and distributed by Wawkumba Film, Canal+ Award for Best Film at Émergence Festival (Togo) and Special Makandal Prize from the student jury (France).
Dao (2026) by Alain Gomis — Berlinale premiere, distributed by Pathé Touch Afrique in collaboration with Wawkumba Film. Alain Gomis is the company's godfather.
A 100% sovereign Senegalese catalogue.
Launched at the end of 2025, SÉNÉGAL REK is Wawkumba Film's 100% sovereign catalogue. Entirely dedicated to emerging talents and powerful Senegalese narratives, it highlights stories written, directed and carried by Senegalese voices, with a strong emphasis on cultural sovereignty.
Flagship titles include Le Sacre — Ndam-li, a documentary led by journalist Mame Fatou Ndoye that retraces the Senegal national football team's journey to AFCON victory — a sold-out premiere at the Grand Théâtre on December 10, 2025 (1,500+ seats), broadcast on Canal+ and Senegalese channels — and La Mémoire du Manguier (2025) by Sawalo Cissé, selected at the Luxor and Khouribga festivals and Audience Award winner at the Belgium IFF.
Four commitments for African cinema.
Promote African cinema internationally
- ◦Handle worldwide sales and distribution of African films.
- ◦Ensure their presence at international festivals and on streaming platforms.
Restore the collective cinema experience in Africa
- ◦Work to reopen and revive cinema theaters across the continent.
- ◦Foster a local and pan-African film culture through screenings and events.
Build a sovereign and inclusive film industry
- ◦Spotlight African talent — particularly women directors and producers.
- ◦Fight the marginalization of women across the industry.
Change perceptions of Africa through its own narratives
- ◦Promote authentic, diverse stories — far from colonial clichés.
- ◦Make cinema a lever for cultural and economic development in Africa.
Five objectives to transform the industry.
Become a key player in the global market for African cinema, building a strong network with distributors, platforms and festivals.
Support African filmmakers in distributing and commercializing their works.
Encourage the rehabilitation of cinema theaters in Africa, supporting local initiatives and organizing screenings.
Foster the professionalization of the film sector through training and the transmission of know-how.
Establish Wawkumba Film as a reference in independent distribution — rooted on the continent, open to the world.