Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF)

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 the screening of Blood Tyre directed by Maksim Brius and was 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 in its programming, serving both French-speaking and English-speaking 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. The festival typically opens submissions 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, reflecting the festival's international scope alongside its African focus.

Key Sections

• International Feature Film Competition - 9 feature films from across 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, Cameroon)
• 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, film distribution, leadership, and entrepreneurship
• Red Carpet and Networking Events - including the All Timers Night 10th Anniversary Celebration (April 22), 70s vs. 80s themed All-White Party (April 23), and closing awards ceremony (April 25)

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 a smaller city than Yaounde or Douala, and the festival's 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 within the African festival landscape. Cameroon's bilingualism means the festival serves both Francophone and Anglophone African filmmakers, bridging a divide that exists across the continent. The South West Region where Buea is located 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 Africa (Nigeria, Ghana) or Southern Africa (South Africa).

CAMIFF's 10th anniversary in 2026 marked a milestone for the festival, which has grown from a local initiative into an event attracting filmmakers from across Africa and beyond. The festival is on the verge of gaining public utility status from the Cameroonian government, which would provide formal recognition and potentially institutional support.

The festival's promoter, Agbor Gilbert Ebot, has positioned CAMIFF as a platform to market Cameroonian films and cinema to the world. The closing ceremony at the Buea Wall of Fame recognized both national and international actors who have contributed to the development of the Cameroon cinema industry.

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 Screenplay - Kismet
• Best Director - Robert Peters
• Best TV Series - Ewusu
• Honorary Award - Alex Ekubo (for cultural ambassadorship)

Festival History

CAMIFF was founded in 2016 by Agbor Gilbert Ebot, a Cameroonian film promoter who envisioned a festival that would market Cameroonian films and cinema to the world while building capacity in the local industry. The festival has been held annually in Buea, Cameroon's South West Region, at the foot of Mount Cameroon.

The festival has grown over 10 editions 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 festival's 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, which would provide formal government recognition. A technical team was established to accompany the promoter in ensuring the success of the 10th anniversary edition. The closing ceremony took place at the Buea Wall of Fame on April 25, 2026, with awards recognizing both national and international contributors to the Cameroon cinema industry.

The festival operates with support from the Ministry of Arts and Culture and has built partnerships with industry professionals, diplomats, and local authorities. CAMIFF's stated objectives include promoting African cinema, empowering local filmmakers, connecting Cameroonian film to global audiences, and transforming Buea into a regional cultural hub through cinema and social cohesion.

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.