Synopsis

City lovebirds Benjamin and Suki journey to a remote goat farm where Suki discovers she's been deceived—this isn't the romantic getaway she expected. Watched over by a towering Mugumo tree and a strange assortment of farmyard residents, vegetarian Suki is horrified to witness the brutal slaughter of a goat, triggering visions of an ancestral debt and a race to escape what her bloodline owes.

Director's Notes

Kenya is a country where Christianity and Islam have been accepted as the nation's primary spiritual truth, but I find myself wondering about our spiritual beliefs before colonialism. Goat emerged from this questioning—my first truly personal film in over a decade, made after 13 years of building a film fund and community for independent African filmmakers while my own creative voice lay dormant.

This desire to reclaim my voice led me home, both literally and spiritually. Goat follows Suki, a young woman called back to Kenya for love after years away, returning as a stranger to her own culture. The horror comes not from external monsters, but from the realization that in rejecting our past, we may have rejected essential parts of ourselves. The spiritualism and ancestral wisdom Africans embraced for centuries still matters, still walks in the shadows with us today whether we acknowledge it or not.

After 13 years of helping others tell their stories, I've missed telling mine. Goat is me reconnecting with my voice as I explore themes I hope to develop more fully in a feature film.

— Judy Kibinge

Cast

Also Featuring: Natasha Wangari & Sasha Wambui (Twins), Joseph Gachanja (Grandfather)

Filmmakers & Production

Judy Kibinge (Writer / Director): A trailblazing Kenyan filmmaker whose debut feature Dangerous Affair (2002) pioneered independent pop culture film in East Africa. Her work includes Something Necessary (TIFF 2013) and Coming of Age (AMAA Best Short Doc). She is the founder of Docubox and an Academy member (AMPAS) since 2017.

Habiba Gicheru (Producer): An emerging creative producer (Some Fine Day Pix 2021 alumna) and Production Coordinator at We Are Not The Machine. Her debut short Iron Fist premiered at Cinequest 2024, and Goat won the Jury Award for Best Short Film at Nollywood Week.

Location & Cinematography: Filmed at Fairview Coffee Estate in Kiambu, Kenya, around a sacred Mugumo tree. Captured on the ARRI Alexa Mini by Danish-Tanzanian cinematographer Talib Rasmussen, DFF.

Festivals & Awards

• Nollywood Week Film Festival (Paris): Best Short Film, Jury Award (WINNER)
• Locarno Film Festival 2026: Open Doors Screening
• Woodstock Film Festival: Official Selection
• New York African Film Festival: Official Selection
• Zanzibar International Film Festival: Official Selection
• International Festival of Women's Films (Benin): Docubox Showcase
• Sharjah Film Platform (Dubai): Official Selection

Technical Specifications

• Genre: Supernatural Folk Thriller
• Running Time: 28 minutes
• Production Year: 2025
• Production Location: Kiambu, Kenya
• Languages: English, Swahili, Kikuyu
• Exhibition Format: 4K Digital
• Audio Format: Stereo and 5.1 Surround Sound
• Subtitles: English