Nawi: Dear Future Me, the Kenyan-German coming-of-age drama about child marriage just won its 20th film festival award this weekend and now has a release date for the U.S. and Canada. THR can also present its trailer for North America, released on Monday.
The film explores the impact of child marriage, which is common in various parts of the world, through the eyes of a gifted girl in Kenya. Nawi, 13, the best student in her region, sees her aspirations of attending high school shattered when her father plans to marry her off to a stranger to ensure the family gets a substantial amount of livestock: “60 sheep, eight camels, and 100 goats,” as the audience hears repeatedly. Nawi makes a big decision and goes on an epic journey.
Set in the remote Turkana region of Kenya, Nawi stars Michelle Lemuya Ikeny as the titular character, a role for which she won the African Movie Academy Award for best promising actor. The ensemble cast also features Joel Liwan, Ochungo Benson, Ben Tekee, Michelle Chebet Tiren, Patrick Oketch, Nungo Marrianne Akinyi, and Nyokabi Macharia. Produced as a collaboration between FilmCrew Media and Baobab Pictures with the Turkana-based NGO Learning Lions, which focuses on educational opportunities and social empowerment for young people, the film is based on a script by Milcah Cherotich that was the result of a national writing contest.
Nawi was directed by the brothers Toby and Kevin Schmutzler, as well as Apuu Mourine and Vallentine Chelluget.
Kenya’s entry for the best international feature film race at the 2025 Oscars just won the Leo Award for best film at the DaVinci International Film Festival in L.A. on Sunday, bringing its overall awards tally to 20.
On Monday, it received a North American release date of March 6, 2026, just ahead of World Womens’ Day on March 8, from Toronto-based New Mountain Films. The focus will be on such cities as New York, L.A., Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Toronto. Founded by Khaled Sabbour, New Mountain focuses on bringing “socially relevant and artistically bold films” to North American audiences.
Nawi, which also recently screened on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, now also has a trailer for its North American release that gives viewers a first glimpse at what to expect, including the dream of having a voice.
Check out the Nawi trailer below.
