Our Story

Wawkumba Film is an independent international sales and distribution company founded in Senegal in 2023 by two passionate cinephiles, Oumou Diegane Niang and Sokhna Aïssatou Camara. Driven by a deep love for cinema and its unique artistic and human experience, Wawkumba Film was born from a desire to share the African Dream with the world. African cinema emerged in the 1960s with legendary figures such as Sembene Ousmane, Tahar Cheriaa, and Djibril Diop Mambéty, sparking immense public enthusiasm following independence. However, the 1990s brought profound disillusionment. Structural adjustment policies and the privatization of public sectors across Africa led to the widespread closure and neardisappearance of movie theaters. Oumou Diegane Niang and Sokhna Aïssatou Camara belong to a generation that grew up without experiencing the collective magic of the cinema screen. Their mission is to revive this dream for African audiences the youngest in the world, with 70% of the population under 35, and projected to become the largest global audience by 2050, with an estimated population of 2.5 billion. Establishing Wawkumba Film is a bold and pioneering step, as there are virtually no African-based global sales companies on the continent. The creation of Wawkumba Film also reflects a broader vision: to champion female leadership and African sovereignty in the production, distribution, and marketing of African cinema.The company pays tribute to Africa, particularly its women, through its name, "Kumba," the nameof the founders’ mother. In Wolof, "Wawkumba" celebrates the bravery of women. In Senegal’smatriarchal and feminist society, it is often used as a rallying cry to inspire women to rise and surpass themselves. In an industry where African, Senegalese, and Black women are too often invisible, marginalized,stereotyped, or discriminated against, and in a world where Africa is still imagined by outsiders as an "exotic jungle of lawless savages," Wawkumba Film exists to rewrite the narrative with a powerful slogan: "Sell the African Dream." Because we, too, have dreams and imaginations. Wawkumba Film boasts a rich catalog of award-winning, globally recognized films that challenge stereotypes through authentic and powerful narratives. Among our works are Demba (2024) by Mamadou Dia, unveiled at the Berlinale and awarded the Bronze Tanit at JCC (Tunisia) and the Grand Prize at the Luxor Festival (Egypt); Liti Liti (2025) by Mamadou Khouma Gueye, premiered at the prestigious Visions du Réel (Nyon); and Don’t Wake the Sleeping Child by Kevin Aubert, which received the Special Jury Prize in the international short film category at the Berlinale.