“We need to promote Ethiopian stories” is a phrase often repeated, yet results remain limited. The diaspora, rooted in Ethiopia but building lives abroad, has long served as a bridge connecting the country to the world. Any serious effort to share Ethiopia’s stories must involve them. In the business section of our 44th edition, we spotlight one such initiative.
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In Los Angeles, one new platform is taking shape with a purpose that feels unusually personal. KITFO TV, founded by Denkinesh Argaw, is creating a platform for Ethiopian and Eritrean stories to thrive, travel, and reach audiences worldwide. The platform, set to launch in early 2026, is less about chasing algorithms and more about preserving memory, amplifying unheard voices, and bridging oceans.
The Problem: A Lack of Space
“The concept of a streaming platform isn’t revolutionary,” Denkinesh admits. “But there wasn’t a place where I could go and just watch our stories outside of YouTube. You have to know exactly what you’re searching for, and the quality is inconsistent. I wanted a curated space where I could trust that the work was high quality and that the stories reflected both Ethiopia and the diaspora.”
KITFO TV was born about two and a half years ago out of what Denkinesh describes as frustration and longing. Born in the United States to Ethiopian parents, she was accustomed to catching fragments of her heritage through scattered uploads online. She knew the stories existed, yet there was no home for them. The filmmakers trying to promote these stories faced two barriers: a shortage of funding and a lack of distribution. Denkinesh could not solve the former overnight, but she could tackle the latter.
“I didn’t have money to fund a bunch of films,” she says. “But I could start a platform. I thought, Why not act as a distributor and give creatives a space to monetize their work?”
Raw and Good, Just Like ክትፎ
The name came unexpectedly. While brainstorming with her cousins, someone jokingly suggested “Kitfo,”. The word stuck. “It was a joke at first,” Denkinesh recalls, laughing. “But it made sense. Kitfo is raw and good. That’s what we’re looking for; Raw, good stories.”
Her definition of “raw and good,” i.e., quality, is not tied to blockbuster budgets or high-priced equipment. “A good film doesn’t need to be a blockbuster,” she says. “It starts with the story, with how it connects to people. Of course, [production] quality matters, but we’ve seen powerful projects made by students on shoestring budgets. What matters is collaboration and sharing resources. That’s how things come to life.”
The Film Festival & The KITFO Foundation
At KITFO’s film festivals in Los Angeles and Addis Ababa, this philosophy is already visible. The Los Angeles event in 2024 admitted 25 films, mixing in-person screenings with a virtual component that reached a broader audience. In January 2025, the Addis festival brought over 400 people together to watch stories rooted in Ethiopian life. Both festivals placed local voices on stage alongside diaspora filmmakers, a deliberate effort to show that the industry is not split between “home” and “abroad” but part of the same continuum.
Denkinesh points to one roundtable during the Addis festival that drove home the urgency of collaboration. “Everyone kept saying the same thing: we need to work together. If one person has a camera and another has a sound kit, share them. Otherwise, nothing moves forward. Creativity thrives when people stop being afraid to collaborate.”
KITFO’s nonprofit arm, the KITFO Foundation, aims to tackle the structural gaps that keep Ethiopian filmmakers on the margins. Plans are ambitious, including subsidized camera rentals, exchange programs with universities, masterclasses led by experienced professionals, and eventually a film fund to support productions directly. “Everyone talks about it, but no one acts,” Denkinesh says firmly. “We want to act.”
Would Ethiopians Pay to Stream?
Denkinesh recognizes that streaming platforms aren’t ideal for the Ethiopian market, as evidenced by the many streaming platforms that failed to hold ground in Ethiopia. The company’s revenue model will rely primarily on subscriptions from the diaspora. For Ethiopia, KITFO intends to make the platform either free or accessible at a nominal cost through partnerships and ad revenue. Denkinesh is clear-eyed about the challenge. “I’m not interested in forcing subscriptions in Ethiopia. Piracy has been the norm for years. Rather than fight that, we’ll explore how to work with the culture.”
A Grassroots Momentum
KITFO already has more than 3,000 people on its waitlist and over 100 titles licensed from filmmakers. Community support has carried the project further than Denkinesh first imagined. “I don’t come from a film or TV background,” she says. “My background is in music and running media events. But I’ve been learning along the way, surrounding myself with people who do know the industry, and asking a lot of questions.”
The motivation is not only commercial. For Denkinesh, representation is deeply personal. When asked what story she wishes had existed when she was growing up, she does not name a specific film. Instead, she speaks about Ethiopia’s diversity. “I want the world to see the full picture of Ethiopia. It’s home to so many cultures, languages, and religions. Yet the outside world often reduces it to war or famine. I want a platform where future generations can see what Ethiopia really looks like.”
The urgency extends beyond Ethiopia itself. KITFO TV positions itself as a bridge between communities, from Addis Ababa to Washington D.C., from Los Angeles to Melbourne. “Our stories are created by us and for us,” Denkinesh explains, “but they resonate far beyond us. First-generation immigrants in other diasporas see themselves in these films too. And I believe the world is ready to discover what Ethiopia has to offer.”
The next milestones are clear: a successful crowdfunding campaign, the continued expansion of the film festivals, and the long-anticipated platform launch in early 2026. Denkinesh remains realistic about the obstacles, but she is guided by a simple lesson. “Just do it. Don’t overthink.”
For Ethiopia’s filmmakers, that instinct may prove transformative. KITFO TV is not just a new streaming platform. It is an invitation for stories that have long existed in fragments to finally find a home.
The latest iteration of the KITFO film festival is scheduled to happen on September 19th in Los Angeles. Denkinesh encourages local filmmakers to submit their films for a chance to be featured.
