KITFO TV Is Building a Streaming Home for Ethiopian and Eritrean Stories

Weeks of research confirmed this reality. So, in that room in Los Angeles, she made an announcement that surprised many: she was going to create a streaming platform for Ethiopian and Eritrean stories.

The response was mixed. Some questioned whether she knew what she was getting herself into.

“I was like, ‘I don't know, but we're gonna do it,’” she tells OkayAfrica.

And she did. In the year and a half since that bold declaration, Argaw has been building KITFO TV—a streaming platform created to showcase Ethiopian, Eritrean, and diaspora stories through films, TV shows, documentaries, and cultural programming that capture the depth and nuance of life in the Horn of Africa.

The aim is not only to make these stories accessible to audiences back home but also to connect them with the wider diaspora and global viewers seeking more authentic African narratives. At its core, KITFO TV is about bridging the gap between local and diaspora creatives and giving their stories a home.

“Our content is raw, and it's good,” she says while explaining the meaning behind the platform’s name. It is a reference to the beloved Ethiopian dish made from raw minced beef. “You don't need to be a blockbuster film for it to be a good film. You don't need to put in millions of dollars for it to be great.”

A bridge across continents

What sets KITFO TV apart is its focus on bridging the gap between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and their diaspora. Argaw originally envisioned it as a platform for diaspora-made content, inspired by her experience as an Ethiopian American working in communications and media. For the past decade, she has created cultural programming for Ethiopian and Eritrean communities abroad. (She is also a founding member of Motherland Sounds, one of Los Angeles’s most popular African party collectives.)

But once she started connecting with filmmakers on the ground in Ethiopia, she realized just how urgently they needed alternative paths to distribution beyond platforms like YouTube. She saw that a platform designed with international reach could also serve them.

“There are streaming platforms in Ethiopia, so what we're doing is not the most revolutionary thing, right?” she explains. “I think what makes it very different is that it's bridging the gap with the diaspora by exposing their work beyond the domestic market to a more international audience. That’s how filmmakers can get paid higher rates and start making more money.”

The streaming service will showcase a blend of classic Ethiopian cinema and contemporary works from the diaspora, with a focus on making both traditional and modern narratives accessible to a global audience. All content will be subtitled, not just in English but in other widely spoken languages, to ensure that language isn't a barrier for viewers anywhere.

The platform is still in its pre-launch phase, building momentum through film screenings, community events, and the launch of its own film festival — one in Los Angeles and another in Addis Ababa. The streaming platform is expected to launch around the time of the next film festival, scheduled for September 2025.

Built by the community, for the community

Despite a strong grassroots start, KITFO TV still faces challenges familiar to many startup founders, including funding. Argaw is preparing to launch a crowd fundraiser with a unique twist: offering equity to community investors.

“We talk so much about it being a community platform, but what does that mean if the community doesn't have ownership in it?” she says. “So it's really important that the community gets to have a chance at being a part of this.”

The hope is that subscriptions from diaspora viewers can help fund local filmmakers more sustainably. And eventually, even support a film fund and original productions through the platform itself.

KITFO TV is also confronting the reality of Ethiopia’s fragmented filmmaking infrastructure. In contrast to Hollywood’s structured ecosystem, local filmmakers — like those in much of Africa — work without formal training or institutional support. And yet, their work reaches broad audiences.

That grassroots creativity inspires Argaw but also highlights the need for more substantial support in areas like policy, permitting, and education.

“I never thought I’d care about policy, but now I realize how central it is,” she says. “If we want film schools, if we want smoother permitting, if we want to truly support a creative economy, we have to get involved at every level.”

A decade from now, she envisions Kitfo TV not just as a platform but as an ecosystem that produces its own original content, distributes stories globally, and runs fully-fledged film festivals in Addis Ababa, Los Angeles, and beyond.

“Imagine training students in our film school, having them work on our productions, getting paid livable wages, and creating a sustainable creative economy,” she says.

And it all stems from a simple belief: that Ethiopian and Eritrean stories deserve to be told on their terms, in their languages, and with their people behind the lens.

“Our stories are valid, even if they don’t look like Hollywood. They're worthy of being seen and celebrated,” she said. “Representation matters. Growing up, I didn't see people who looked like me on screen. I want that to change.”