Ginger Ink Films Africa

Overview

Ginger Ink Films Africa (Ginger Ink EPZ Limited) is a Nairobi-based film production service company founded in 2005 by producer Ginger Wilson. The company operates across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and other African countries, providing production support for commercials, documentaries, and feature films. Ginger Ink has approximately 5 employees and maintains two offices in Nairobi, with headquarters in Kilimani. The company is privately held and active as of 2026.

Ginger Ink works as a local service production partner for international brands and production companies shooting in Africa. Recent clients include Nike (2024), KFC (2025), Uber (2025), and various international advertising agencies. The company provides location scouting, crew hiring, equipment rental, government permits, and logistical support for productions of any scale, from documentary crews to feature film units.

The company is best known for co-producing Nairobi Half Life (2012) with Tom Tykwer's Berlin-based One Fine Day Films and the DW-Akademie. The film became the most successful theatrical release in Kenyan history for a local film at the time and was Kenya's first-ever submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. Lead actor Joseph Wairimu won Best Actor at the Durban International Film Festival. International distribution was handled by Rushlake Media (worldwide) and Trigon Film (Switzerland).

Production Service Model

Ginger Ink operates as a service production company, not a traditional distributor. The distinction matters for filmmakers seeking distribution deals in East Africa. Ginger Ink does not acquire finished films for territorial distribution. Instead, the company provides the infrastructure for international productions to shoot in Kenya and across East Africa.

Services include location scouting across Kenya's diverse landscapes (from Nairobi urban environments to coastal regions, highlands, and desert terrain), crew sourcing from Kenya's growing technical workforce, equipment rental, government liaison through the Kenya Film Commission, and logistics management for productions of any size. The company has experience working with crews ranging from informal documentary teams to formal commercial and feature film units.

Ginger Ink's reputation with local and international clients is built on reliability and established relationships with Kenyan government ministries and authorities. This means production logistics stay efficient and secure. The company also maintains supplier relationships that help control costs for international productions.

The One Fine Day Films Partnership

Ginger Ink's most significant contribution to Kenyan cinema comes through its ongoing partnership with One Fine Day Films, the Berlin-based production company founded by Tom Tykwer and Marie Steinmann. Together with the DW-Akademie (a German nonprofit supporting media development), the two companies host an annual workshop in Nairobi.

Each year, 70 participants are selected from across Africa for an intensive two-week training program. Foreign mentors lead workshops in directing, screenwriting, editing, cinematography, production, production design, and sound design. At the workshop's conclusion, selected participants collaborate on a feature film produced by One Fine Day Films and Ginger Ink.

This partnership has produced multiple feature films, with Nairobi Half Life being the most commercially and critically successful. The film was directed by first-time filmmaker Tosh Gitonga and written by Serah Mwihaki, Samuel Munene, Charles "Potash" Matathia, and Billy Kahora. It premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in July 2012 before its Nairobi premiere in August 2012.

The Kenyan and East African Film Market

Kenya has one of the most active film industries in East Africa. The country benefits from a young urban population, expanding multiplex infrastructure in Nairobi (including Century Cinemax, Fox Cinemas, and Anga Screen in major shopping centres), and a growing demand for locally produced stories. However, the theatrical market is dominated by Hollywood studio films and Nollywood releases from Nigeria.

Kenyan independent productions navigate this landscape by targeting audiences interested in East African perspectives. The Kenya Film Commission and Kenya Film Classification Board provide the regulatory and support infrastructure for production and distribution. International co-productions involving Kenya benefit from the country's English-language heritage, diverse shooting locations, and experienced production crews.

Swahili, spoken widely across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, provides a shared language market that extends the potential audience for East African productions beyond national borders. This linguistic reach creates distribution opportunities across multiple countries for Swahili-language content.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For international filmmakers planning to shoot in Kenya or East Africa, Ginger Ink provides the local production infrastructure needed to execute projects efficiently. The company handles government permits, location access, crew hiring, and equipment logistics. Contact them through their website at gingerink.tv or by phone at +254 723 898 689.

For Kenyan and East African filmmakers seeking distribution rather than production services, Ginger Ink is not the right partner. The company does not distribute films. Filmmakers looking for distribution in the East African market should consider the Kenya Film Commission's resources, international sales agents specializing in African cinema, or digital platforms like Showmax (operated by MultiChoice) that serve African audiences.

For filmmakers interested in the One Fine Day Films workshop program, applications are typically open to participants from across Africa. The program selects 70 participants annually for training, with a subset going on to work on a feature film production. This represents one of the most accessible pathways for emerging African filmmakers to gain international production experience.

Notable Productions

Nairobi Half Life (2012, co-production with One Fine Day Films, Kenya's first Oscar submission), various commercial campaigns for Nike, KFC, Uber, and other international brands, and ongoing feature film development through the One Fine Day Films workshop program.

Example Titles They've Released

Ginger Ink Entertainment's most notable production is Nairobi Half Life (2012, co-production with One Fine Day Films), which was Kenya's first ever Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film. The company has also produced various commercial campaigns for international brands including Nike, KFC, Uber, and others, and continues feature film development through the One Fine Day Films workshop program. The One Fine Day Films workshop program selects 70 participants annually for training, with a subset going on to work on a feature film production. This represents one of the most accessible pathways for emerging African filmmakers to gain international production experience. The company operates from Nairobi, Kenya, with Tom Likong and Wanjiru Kinyanjui among the key personnel.

Deal Structure Reputation

Ginger Ink Entertainment operates as a production services company rather than a distributor. The company does not distribute films. For Kenyan and East African filmmakers seeking distribution rather than production services, Ginger Ink is not the right partner. Filmmakers looking for distribution in the East African market should consider the Kenya Film Commission's resources, international sales agents specializing in African cinema, or digital platforms like Showmax (operated by MultiChoice) that serve African audiences. The company's production services model means it partners with international productions needing local expertise, crew, equipment, and location access in Kenya and the broader East African region. The One Fine Day Films partnership provides a structured co-production framework that brings international financing and mentorship to African filmmaking talent.

Typical Acquisition Profile

For filmmakers interested in the One Fine Day Films workshop program, applications are typically open to participants from across Africa. The program selects 70 participants annually for training, with a subset going on to work on a feature film production. This represents one of the most accessible pathways for emerging African filmmakers to gain international production experience. For international productions seeking a Kenyan production services partner, Ginger Ink provides local expertise, crew, equipment, and location access. The company's track record with Nairobi Half Life and its ongoing commercial work for major brands demonstrates production capability at international standards. Contact the company directly through their Nairobi office for production services inquiries or workshop program applications.

Watch: Trailers and Behind the Scenes

See Also

For Pan-African film distribution context, see Nollywood Pictures in this directory. For the FESPACO pan-African film festival's role in African distribution, see the Film Awards Directory. To model the financial structure of an international co-production, use the Revenue Forecast Calculator. For how international sales agents handle African cinema at global markets, see Distribution Deals Explained.