Ugandan conservation storyteller and filmmaker Jonathan Benaiah has won first place at WildPitch Kenya 2026, a leading pitching competition for wildlife and natural history filmmakers held during the Wildscreen Festival Kenya in Nairobi.
Benaiah secured the top prize with Musambwa, a documentary project that explores the intersection of spirituality, conservation and human experience through stories linked to Musambwa Island in Lake Victoria.
The project follows two Ugandan elders whose lives have been shaped by their relationship with snakes. One is a custodian of sacred cobras believed by local communities to embody ancestral spirits on Musambwa Island, while the other lives with the trauma of surviving two near-fatal snakebite incidents on the mainland.
Musambwa was selected among six finalist projects from across Africa before emerging as the overall winner. The award includes partial development funding to support further research and production of the documentary.
The recognition places Benaiah among a growing number of African filmmakers gaining international attention for stories that combine conservation themes with local culture and indigenous knowledge systems.
The two-day Wildscreen Festival Kenya brought together filmmakers, conservationists, broadcasters and industry leaders from across Africa and beyond to discuss trends and opportunities in natural history storytelling.
The event featured panel discussions, networking sessions and film screenings, including previews of LION, a forthcoming National Geographic production, and Cheetahs Up Close, which has received widespread attention since its release earlier this year.
Representatives from major international organizations, including the BBC Natural History Unit and Wildstar Films, were among the industry stakeholders in attendance.
Founded in 1987 and based in Bristol, England, Wildscreen is a global conservation charity that promotes the use of storytelling to connect people with nature and advance environmental awareness.