The Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab (GLCPL) is returning for its fifth edition this November. From November 17-21, 2025, in Addis Ababa, the lab will host participants from eight African nations.
The 2025 cohort brings together filmmakers from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, DRC, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cape Verde, and Egypt.
The core mission of the GLCPL is to increase the number of skilled producers managing both fiction and documentary projects across the continent. By focusing intensely on the development stage, the Lab aims to equip producers with the resources and tools needed to create viable projects that can successfully access global markets.
GLCPL Co-founder Samuel Tebandeke emphasizes this entrepreneurial mindset: “The future of African cinema belongs to producers who think like entrepreneurs—those who can turn limitations into opportunities and imagine what’s possible, even within constraints.”
The week-long program is intensive, featuring hands-on workshops and dedicated one-on-one sessions with respected local and international industry mentors.
In 2026, the program will open its doors even wider, welcoming entrants from all over Africa following a rigorous application and project vetting process.
The Lab’ is supported by the French Embassy, International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), World Cinema Fund, IEFTA, EAVE, Docubox, Africalia Belgique, GIZ, and the Durban Filmart Institute, among others.
the Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab was founded by:
- Samuel Tebandeke – A seasoned screenwriter, producer, and director with a decade of experience. An alumnus of Maisha Film Lab and Ouaga Film Lab, his directorial short film Ten O’clock screened In Competition at PÖFF Shorts Film Festival, and his latest short, Ziwa, recently won the Grand Prize at the Pan African Film Festival Khourigba.
- Juliana Kabua – A Nairobi-based producer whose work champions themes of identity and home. She is an alumna of Creative Producer’s Indaba and the Rotterdam Lab. Her acclaimed short film Stero won Best Short Narrative at FAME Week in Cape Town, and she was part of the production team for the critically acclaimed feature Supa Modo (2018).