Wanuri's inaugural feature film, "From A Whisper", a cinematic adaptation of the real-life events surrounding the 1998 twin bombings of US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, garnered immense critical acclaim, winning the Best Narrative Feature award at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles in 2010. This prestigious honor was accompanied by five additional accolades at the African Movie Academy Award, including Best Director and Best Screenplay.
In 2009, Wanuri ventured into television documentary production with "For Our Land", a biographical piece about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai, which was commissioned by MNET, a pan-African cable station. The following year, her short science fiction film "Pumzi" made its world premiere at the esteemed Sundance film festival, subsequently winning the Best Short Film award at the Cannes Independent Film Festival and the silver award at the Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia. "Pumzi" also earned Wanuri the coveted 'Citta di Venezia 2010' award at the Venice Film Festival in Italy.
Wanuri's sophomore feature film, "Rafiki", based on the short story "Jambula Tree", premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Queer Palm award.
As the visionary creator of the Afrobubblegum genre, Wanuri celebrates joy, hope, and black culture through her work, infusing her content with a sense of fun, fierceness, and frivolity. Her impressive resume boasts numerous accolades, including being a TED fellow and a World Economic Forum cultural leader.
