Ryan Njenga is an award-winning filmmaker and curator, who works largely as a film director, editor and creative director on various projects, including narrative work, music videos and documentary work. He’s worked with various outlets and brands, such as Dirty Hit, KC Repertory Theatre, Volksgeist and Boombox Creative.

Ryan’s narrative work explores themes of identity, love, time, finality, memories and nostalgia, while showcasing a deep passion for modern coming-of-age stories, navigating the complexities of self-discovery and universal struggles, particularly through the lens of marginalized identities.

Ryan believes deeply in world-building and, with his client work, he works diligently to understand the vision the client is working to build and works hard to create a cohesive visual product to enhance their message, work and world. Through his creative director work, he finds joy in pushing the marketing and voice of the artist to the greater public, through physical means or through digital content creation and packaging.

Annually, through his production company, NJENGA FILMS, he curates and organizes a showcase highlighting work made by Kansas City-based filmmakers and creatives.

Resume is available on request.

SELECTED PRESS:

• Interview with Shuttlecock Magazine (2020) - Nothing Makes Sense, and That's What Makes Sense - A Conversation with Ryan Njenga

• Interview with VoyageKC (2021)

• The Pitch Premiere Article for GORGEOUS (2021) - Gorgeous reminds us that the fight for racial equality is more than just a trend

• WildSound Interview for GORGEOUS (2021)

• The Pitch Interview - Lights, camera, funding? (2022)

• Interview with CanvasRebel Magazine (2022)

• Interview with KCUR (2023) - Kansas City women and queer filmmakers take 'A Seat At The Table' in new showcase

• Interview with The Bridge (2024) - BoomBox Creative and Njenga Films: Elevating The Artist Ecosystem

• Alternative Press article (2024) - The first single […] comes with a nostalgic video, directed by Ryan Njenga, that has them reminiscing on their 2000s-era upbringing.”

• Northern Transmissions article (2024): “The video which taps into sunny, starry-eyed nostalgia of […] the 2000s and follows bandmates […] as they find love at a rose-tinted house party.”

• Gurl World UK: “The accompanying music video is as much a statement as the song itself. Shot in what feels like a neon-soaked fever dream, it draws on the aesthetics of early MTV but subverts them in ways that feel fresh and relevant. There’s a sense of chaotic joy throughout, but it’s tinged with a bittersweet awareness that nothing lasts forever […] Yet, this impermanence is embraced rather than mourned.”

• “It feels like the director created a world for each of the videos he’s done for the indie rockers, where it seems as though they all take place in different parts of a shared universe […] ‘Ryan cares about everything and has curated a team of people who cares.’”

  SELECTED AWARDS:

• Runner-up for Best Filmmaker (Artistic) in Kansas City by The Pitch

• Semi-Finalist for Best Filmmaker at the Kansas City People’s Choice Awards

• WISH YOU WERE HERE: Officially screened at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. ‘Best Actress’ at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival & ‘Best Writer’ at the Venice Full Shot Film Festival

• ‘Best Local Film’ & ‘Top Acting Performance’ at the Kansas City Underground Film Festival for SWITZER LOFTS

• circles*: Officially screened at the Kansas City International Film Festival

• ‘Audience Choice Award for Best Film’ at the First Fridays Film Festival for ERYKAH

• ‘Best Sound & Music’ at the Black Feedback Film Festival for GORGEOUS