Mbithi Masya is a filmmaker, commercial director, and cultural strategist working across narrative cinema and advertising. His work blends emotional storytelling with a strong visual language, grounded in cultural specificity and a restrained cinematic approach.

His debut feature film, Kati Kati, produced by Tom Tykwer, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Award, establishing him as a distinctive new voice in global cinema. His short film BABA also premiered at TIFF and received the Baobab Prize at Film Africa in London.

Alongside his narrative work, Mbithi has directed campaigns for leading brands across Africa and India. His commercial work is defined by a cinematic, performance-led approach, executed at scale across multiple territories, pushing the boundaries of craft and production in remote and logistically complex environments.

His work also extends into large-scale youth media platforms across multiple markets, reaching millions of young people, demonstrating the power of storytelling as both cultural and social infrastructure.

He is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the NBO Film Festival, an initiative dedicated to rebuilding cinema-going culture and supporting film ecosystems in Africa.