Overview
The Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) is Central Africa's largest film festival. The 10th anniversary edition ran April 20 to 25, 2026, at the Buea Mountain Hotel and venues across Buea in Cameroon's South West Region. The 2026 edition presented 40 projects across multiple formats: 19 feature films, 12 short films, 4 television series, and 5 documentaries, with 9 feature films from 4 continents competing in the international feature film category.
CAMIFF was founded in 2016 by promoter Agbor Gilbert Ebot. The festival is nearing public utility status in Cameroon, following discussions between the promoter and the Minister of Arts and Culture Bidoung Mkpatt in April 2026. The 10th edition opened with Blood Tyre directed by Maksim Brius, opened by the Divisional Officer for Buea, Abba Abdouraman, with the Director of Cinematography in the Ministry of Arts and Culture, Prof. Fai Donatus, in attendance.
For filmmakers in Central Africa, CAMIFF provides the most important regional platform. Cameroon is known as "Africa in miniature" for its cultural, linguistic, and geographic diversity, with over 250 ethnic groups and bilingual French-English status. CAMIFF reflects this diversity, serving both Francophone and Anglophone filmmakers. Central Africa has been underrepresented in the African film festival landscape relative to West and East Africa, and CAMIFF works to fill that gap.
Submission Details
CAMIFF accepts submissions across multiple categories. The festival showcases feature films, shorts, documentaries, TV series, student films, community films, and online content.
Submission categories:
- Feature films (international and Cameroonian)
- Short films (international and Cameroonian)
- Documentaries
- TV series
- Student films
- Community films
- Online content / social media content
Submission process: Filmmakers should check the CAMIFF website for current submission information. Submissions typically open several months before the April edition.
Entry fees: Submission fee information is available on the festival's official channels. CAMIFF operates with support from the Ministry of Arts and Culture and private sponsors, keeping participation accessible to African filmmakers.
Eligibility: The festival accepts both Cameroonian and international submissions. The 2026 feature film competition included entries from China, Portugal, Australia, Cameroon, Nigeria, Russia, Canada, and Slovakia.
Key Sections
- International Feature Film Competition - 9 feature films from 4 continents competing for Best Film and Best Director (2026 titles included Broken Spear from China, Live and Let Go from Portugal, Stranded Pearl from Australia, Malgre Tout from Cameroon, Land of Gold from Nigeria, Blood Type from Russia, A Warm Christmas from Canada, and The Devil's Signature from Slovakia)
- Short Film Competition - international and Cameroonian short films
- Documentary Program - nonfiction features
- TV Series Competition - African television series (2026 winner: Cicatrice by Anurin Nwunembom)
- Community Film Category - films produced for and by local communities (2026 winner: Golden Spoon by Elvis Johnson)
- Online Content Creator Award - recognizing social media content creators (2026 winner: Simplest Ntuthi)
- Masterclasses and Workshops - sessions covering acting, directing, screenwriting, cinematography, film business, digital marketing, and distribution
- Red Carpet and Networking Events - including the All Timers Night 10th Anniversary Celebration, 70s vs. 80s themed All-White Party, and closing awards ceremony
What Filmmakers Should Know
CAMIFF's location in Buea, at the foot of Mount Cameroon in the South West Region, distinguishes it from capital city festivals. Buea is smaller than Yaounde or Douala, and the venue at the Buea Mountain Hotel creates an intimate, retreat-like atmosphere where filmmakers are in close proximity throughout the six-day event.
The festival's bilingual French-English context creates an unusual programming environment. Cameroon's bilingualism means the festival serves both Francophone and Anglophone African filmmakers, bridging a continental divide. The South West Region is English-speaking, making CAMIFF one of the few major African film festivals based in an Anglophone region of a Francophone-dominated country.
The 2026 edition featured 24 workshop courses and 18 nomination categories. Workshops covered practical skills including cinematography, film business, digital marketing, film distribution, leadership, and entrepreneurship. The festival's industry programming aims to build capacity in the Central African film industry, where training infrastructure is limited compared to West or Southern Africa.
Major Awards
2026 award winners (10th edition):
- Best Film - Malgre Tout by Enah Johnscott (Cameroon)
- Best Director - Maksim Bruis for Blood Type (Russia)
- Best Actor - Dippah Thomas Brice in Malgre Tout (Cameroon)
- Best Actress - Prisma James in Land of Gold (Nigeria)
- Best Cameroonian Film - Malgre Tout by Enah Johnscott
- Best Cameroonian Actor - Tjay Tamunjoh in Down South
- Best Cameroonian Actress - Faith Fidel in Down South
- Best Short Film - Till Down Do Us Part by Tabi Zama (Cameroon)
- Best Cameroonian Short Film - Code Verte by Moifo Takou
- Best Screenplay - The Devil's Signature by Marek Dobes (Slovakia)
- Best African Series - Cicatrice by Anurin Nwunembom (Cameroon)
- Best Community Film - Golden Spoon by Elvis Johnson
- Best Online Content Creator - Simplest Ntuthi
- Best Production House in Cameroon - MLprod237 by Mbeng Lilian
- Honorary Awards - Celine Louder, Ruth Kadiri
2025 award winners (9th edition):
- Best Feature International Film - Conversations in Transit (Nigeria)
- Best Documentary - Godsterminal (Austria)
- Best Cameroon Film - The Dead Man's Wish
- Best Overall Actor - Richard Mofe-Damijo
- Best Overall Actress - Jeanne Benti
- Best Director - Robert Peters
- Best TV Series - Ewusu
Notable Past Winners and Their Trajectories
- Half Heaven (2023, Enah Johnscott) - Won Best Director and Best International Feature at CAMIFF 2024, and was named Film of the Year at CAMIFF 2025. Selected as Cameroon's Oscar submission for the 96th Academy Awards. Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
- The Planter's Plantation (2022) - Won Best Cameroonian Film at CAMIFF 2023 (6th edition), featuring Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh. Also won Best Overall Actress (Nimo Loveline).
- Choke Hold (2024, Joel Ayuk) - Won Best Overall Actor (Eyinna Nwigwe) and Best Screenplay at CAMIFF 2025. A Caribbean action drama addressing domestic violence, demonstrating CAMIFF's openness to cross-continental co-productions.
- Caller ID Unknown (2024, Konrad M. Defang) - Won Best Cameroon Feature Film and Best Cameroon Actress (Laura Onyama) at CAMIFF 2024.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
CAMIFF has served as a platform for Cameroonian films seeking wider African and international distribution:
- Half Heaven (2023) - Enah Johnscott's film about a preacher sent to a dangerous community. After winning at CAMIFF, it was selected as Cameroon's Oscar submission and secured distribution on Amazon Prime Video. Enah Johnscott is also known for The Fisherman's Diary (2020), which won approximately 34 awards at various festivals.
- The German King (2024, Adetokumboh M'Cormack) - Won Best International Short Film at CAMIFF 2024, representing the kind of diaspora-African cinema that CAMIFF attracts.
Most CAMIFF-winning films do not secure traditional theatrical distribution outside Africa. The primary downstream value of a CAMIFF win is recognition within the African film industry, potential streaming placement (Amazon Prime Video, Africa Magic), and networking with Nollywood and pan-African professionals.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
- Bilingual programming: The festival serves both Francophone and Anglophone African filmmakers. Films in English, French, or both are equally welcome.
- African diaspora stories: Films by African diaspora filmmakers or about African diaspora experiences are within the programming profile. The 2026 competition included entries from China, Portugal, Australia, Russia, Canada, and Slovakia alongside African entries.
- TV series category: CAMIFF is one of the few African festivals with a dedicated TV series competition. African television series producers should submit to this category.
- Community film and online content: The festival's community film and online content creator categories are unusual in the African festival landscape. Filmmakers producing content for local communities or social media should consider these categories.
Industry Reputation Notes
CAMIFF occupies a specific position in the African festival landscape. It is the largest film festival in Central Africa, filling a gap in a region underrepresented relative to West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana) and East Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia).
Compared to peer festivals:
- vs. FESPACO (Burkina Faso): FESPACO is the largest and oldest Pan-African film festival, held biennially in Ouagadougou with stronger international industry connections. CAMIFF is annual and smaller, but serves the Central African region that FESPACO does not specifically target.
- vs. Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF, Nigeria): AFRIFF is more industry-focused, with stronger connections to Nollywood and international streaming platforms. CAMIFF's industry programming is growing but is less market-oriented than AFRIFF.
- vs. Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF, Tanzania): Both are regional festivals serving underrepresented areas. CAMIFF's bilingual French-English context and its location in an Anglophone region of a Francophone country give it a distinctive cultural position.
CAMIFF is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival. Its primary value is networking within the Central and West African film industries, workshop training, and cultural exchange. The festival's proximity to Nollywood means Nigerian filmmakers and actors regularly attend, creating cross-border collaboration opportunities.
Festival History
CAMIFF was founded in 2016 by Agbor Gilbert Ebot, a Cameroonian film promoter who envisioned a festival that would market Cameroonian films to the world while building capacity in the local industry. The festival has been held annually in Buea, at the foot of Mount Cameroon.
Over 10 editions, CAMIFF has grown from a local event into a regional platform attracting filmmakers from across Africa and internationally. The 2026 edition presented 40 projects and attracted filmmakers from China, Portugal, Australia, Russia, Canada, Slovakia, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The industry programming has expanded to include 24 workshop courses covering the full filmmaking pipeline from craft to business.
In April 2026, CAMIFF's promoter met with the Minister of Arts and Culture to discuss the festival's application for public utility status. The closing ceremony took place at the Buea Wall of Fame on April 25, 2026. The festival operates with support from the Ministry of Arts and Culture and has built partnerships with industry professionals, diplomats, and local authorities.
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See Also
For African cinema context, see International Film Markets. To calculate the return on festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator.
