Rwandan filmmaker and musician Jacques Muligande, widely known as Mighty Popo, is taking his first feature film to an international audience after ‘Killer Music’ was selected for the 8th Africa Film Festival in South Korea. The film is among 16 productions from 15 African countries featured at the festival, which is being held across Busan, Seoul and Jeonju from May 21 to June 14. Organized by the Korea-Africa Foundation, the event showcases stories from across the continent and coincides with the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers' Meeting. ALSO READ: Psychological drama ‘A Blue Butterfly’ heads to Kigali for final shoot For Rwanda's growing film industry, the selection places a locally produced feature alongside works from countries with longer-established cinema sectors, including South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Kenya. ‘Killer Music’ premiered at Century Cinema in Kigali on Sept. 14, 2025, before earning a place in the South Korean festival lineup. The film is scheduled to screen on Friday, June 12 during the Jeonju leg of the festival at Jeonju Digital Independent Movie Cinema. ALSO READ: Ben’Imana’s Cannes triumph signals new era for Rwandan cinema Set against the backdrop of Rwanda's contemporary music industry, the two-hour feature follows four aspiring artistes, Sine, Mwiza, Shannon and Ira, as they compete in a high-stakes music contest. As the competition plays out, a violent incident exposes deeper tensions and criminal activity, reshaping relationships among the contestants and altering the course of their ambitions. Produced by Sakara Production under the executive production of Mighty Popo and directed by Indian-Rwandan filmmaker Anirban Mitra, the project was developed over three years and involved more than 250 cast and crew members. The production also served as a training ground for emerging creatives, bringing together students from the Rwanda School of Creative Arts and Music alongside experienced industry professionals. Filming took place across multiple locations in Rwanda. The cast includes performers from Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, among them Serah Wanjiru, Simon Kalema, Lucarelli Onyango, Felicity Mandela, Doreen Nabbanja, Pelly Nampanga, Jules Sentore, Vanessa Uwase, Patrick Mugisha and Luckman Nzeyimana. When the film premiered in Kigali, Mighty Popo described ‘Killer Music’ as the first chapter of a planned trilogy. The project was presented as part of broader efforts to strengthen Rwanda's film ecosystem through locally produced stories, skills development and international collaboration.
