Kenyan-Nigerian co-production One Woman One Bra has won the 2025 Sutherland Award for Best First Feature at the BFI London Film Festival, which concluded on 19 October.
Directed by Vincho Nchogu and produced by Josh Olaoluwa, the film made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival before its UK debut at the BFI London Film Festival.
The Sutherland Award, presented annually to a directorial debut, was awarded to Nchogu for her “brilliant debut film.” The jury praised the film’s ability to “confidently move between so many tones” while “always holding the audience with care.” They highlighted the film’s use of humour to “shattering effect” and commended Nchogu for eliciting “fantastic performances” from the cast, complemented by “stunning cinematography throughout.”
One Woman One Bra tells the story of Star, a 38-year-old woman in rural Kenya who faces the risk of losing her ancestral land due to her unknown parentage and unmarried status. Her situation becomes precarious when she discovers a photograph of her younger self in The World Book of Nomads, leading her on a journey to uncover her identity and claim her heritage. The film is told in Maa, Swahili, and English, and was developed through the Venice Biennale College Cinema programme, which tasks finalists with making a feature film within a year of selection.
The Sutherland Award is the BFI London Film Festival’s top honour for first-time filmmakers. Over the years, previous awardees include Robert Eggers for The Witch (2015) and Mati Diop for Atlantics (2019).
One Woman One Bra is now poised for wider international recognition, marking a significant achievement for African cinema and highlighting the emerging voices shaping the continent’s film industry.