Overview
The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is Nigeria's premier film festival and one of the most significant cinema events on the African continent. Founded by Chioma Ude in 2011, AFRIFF takes place annually in November in Lagos, the global center of Nollywood and Africa's most populous city. The 14th edition was held from November 2 to 8, 2025, with the Globe Awards ceremony concluding the festival on November 8 at the Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos.
AFRIFF has evolved from a purely screening-based festival into a commercial hub for African cinema. The 2025 edition introduced the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM), running from November 3 to 6, designed to facilitate buying, selling, co-productions, and distribution of content. The festival operates in partnership with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, reinforcing Nigeria's role in the global creative economy.
The 2025 theme was "Indigenous to Global: Cultural Wealth to Global Prosperity." The festival screened features, shorts, documentaries, and animation from across Africa and the diaspora, with industry sessions running as 60- to 90-minute panels covering financing, co-production, distribution, animation, television, and continental collaboration. AFRIFF also partners with Afreximbank through its Creative Africa Nexus program.
Key Sections
- Feature Film Competition - African and diaspora narrative features competing for Globe Awards
- International Feature Competition - international features outside the African focus
- Documentary Competition - African and international nonfiction features
- Short Film Competition - African and international short fiction films
- International Short Film Competition - international shorts
- Documentary Short Competition - nonfiction shorts
- Student Short Competition - films by emerging student filmmakers
- Animation Competition - animated films from African and international creators
- AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM) - industry market for buying, selling, co-productions, and distribution (launched 2025)
- Industry Sessions - panels and fireside chats on financing, co-production, distribution, and creative industry business
- Masterclasses - educational programming with visiting filmmakers and industry professionals
- Pitch Session Awards - project development and pitching competitions
- Herbert Wigwe Award for Excellence - honors individuals contributing to film, governance, and community development
What Filmmakers Should Know
AFRIFF accepts submissions via FilmFreeway. Key details for the 2026 edition (based on published guidelines):
- Submissions open: May 6, 2026
- Regular deadline: August 6, 2026
- Late deadline: August 26, 2026
- Notifications: October 3, 2026
- Festival dates: November 1 to 7, 2026
Submission fees:
- Feature and Documentary: $20 (regular deadline), $25 (late deadline)
- Shorts, Animation, and Student categories: Lower fees (discounted rates available)
- FilmFreeway Gold members: Discounted rates available
Eligibility requirements:
- Films must be produced within the previous calendar year
- Non-English films must include English subtitles
- A concise and complete press kit is required with each submission
- All entries are reviewed by AFRIFF's selection committee and programming team
- The festival does not pay rental or screening fees for submitted works in competition
- The festival does not make cuts or changes to submitted works
Selections are announced in October, with all entrants notified by email. Selected films are also posted on the AFRIFF website.
AFRIFF is particularly valuable for African and diaspora filmmakers seeking distribution partnerships, co-production deals, and exposure to international buyers. The 2025 edition's Film and Content Market (AFCM) created a dedicated commercial space alongside the screenings.
For international filmmakers, AFRIFF offers access to Nollywood's distribution infrastructure and one of the world's most dynamic entertainment markets. The festival bridges the commercial vitality of mainstream Nollywood with independent African filmmaking that has gained international recognition.
Enquiries can be directed to programmes@afriff.com.
Major Awards
AFRIFF presents the Globe Awards annually at a ceremony concluding the festival. The 2025 edition presented 18 awards including Best Feature Film, Best International Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best International Documentary, Best Short Film, Best International Short Film, Best Student Short, Best Animation, Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Film, Audience Choice Award, Pitch Session Awards, and the Herbert Wigwe Trail Blazer Award.
AFRIFF 2025 Globe Awards Winners
- Best Feature Film: To Adaego With Love directed by Nwamaka Chikezie (Nigeria)
- Best International Feature Film: Pasa Faho directed by Kalu Oji (Australia)
- Best Director: Zoey Martinson for The Fisherman (Ghana)
- Best Actor: Richard Bamgbaye for Aljana (Nigeria)
- Best Actress: Michelle Lemuya Ikeny for Nawi (Kenya)
- Best Screenplay: Brenda Garuba for To Adaego With Love
- Best Documentary: The Eyes of Ghana directed by Ben Proudfoot (Ghana/USA)
- Best International Documentary: TUKKI: From Roots to Bayou by Vincent Le Gal and Alune Wade (France/Ghana/Senegal/USA)
- Best Documentary Short: Beyond The Screen by Peter Fada Osiughwu (Nigeria/UK)
- Best Short Film: The Day The Heart Died by Russell Oru (Nigeria)
- Best International Short Film: Majini by Joshua Neubert and Victor Muhagachi (Tanzania/UK)
- Best Student Short: The Labyrinth by Toluwalope Okunade Ebiseni (France)
- Best Animation: The Travails of Ajadi by Adeoye Adetunji (Nigeria)
- Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Film: The Eyes of Ghana by Ben Proudfoot
- Audience Choice Award: Son of the Soil directed by Chee Keong Cheung (UK/Nigeria)
The Herbert Wigwe Award for Excellence was presented to actor David Oyelowo, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, and musician Flavour for their contributions to African arts and culture.
Festival History
AFRIFF was founded in 2011 by Chioma Ude, a Nigerian film and fashion entrepreneur. The festival has grown over 14 editions into one of Africa's most influential film festival platforms, attracting filmmakers, distributors, and industry professionals from across the continent and beyond.
The festival's evolution from a screening event to a commercial hub reflects the broader transformation of African cinema. Nollywood produces thousands of films per year and is the world's second-largest film industry by volume. AFRIFF bridges mainstream Nollywood with independent pan-African filmmaking.
The 2025 edition marked a significant expansion with the launch of the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM), positioning the festival as a business platform for the African creative economy. The festival's partnerships with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy and Afreximbank's Creative Africa Nexus program reflect its growing role in shaping continental film industry policy and financing.
Past Winners
The 2025 Globe Awards winners are listed above. Here is what happened to the top prize winners after AFRIFF:
- Best Feature Film: To Adaego With Love (dir. Nwamaka Chikezie) received a theatrical release in Nigeria on February 6, 2026 through Tribe Nation, with Trino Studios handling international sales. Screenwriter Brenda Ogbukaa-Garuba noted she attended the AFRIFF screenwriting masterclass in 2016 before writing this film.
- Special Jury Prize and Best Documentary: The Eyes of Ghana (dir. Ben Proudfoot, Oscar-winning director of The Queen of Basketball) opened at TIFF 2025. The film profiles 93-year-old documentarian Chris Hesse, who worked as personal cinematographer to Kwame Nkrumah.
- Best Actress: Michelle Lemuya Ikeny for Nawi (Kenya/Germany). The film was Kenya's official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, won 20+ festival awards including Best International Film at Raindance, and received a US release on March 6, 2026 through New Mountain Films. Atlas International Film picked up international rights and gave the film its market premiere at the European Film Market during the Berlinale.
- Audience Choice Award: Son of the Soil (dir. Chee Keong Cheung, UK/Nigeria), a Lagos-set action film.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- OJuju (dir. C.J. Obasi, 2014) premiered at AFRIFF 2014 and won Best Nigerian Film. It screened at 40+ festivals and was optioned by a major Hollywood studio for series adaptation. Obasi went on to direct Mami Wata, which premiered at Sundance 2023.
- Phoenix Fury (dir. Ifeoma N. Chukwuogo, 2024) won Best Director and Best Film at AFRIFF 2024. The film starred Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) and was shot at the Royal Senchi resort in Ghana.
- Nawi (2024) screened at AFRIFF 2025, where lead actress Michelle Lemuya Ikeny won Best Actress. The film became Kenya's Oscar entry, won 25 awards across 50+ festivals, and secured US distribution through New Mountain Films.
- The Boy Who Gave (dir. Allison Emmanuel, 2025) made its debut at AFRIFF 2025. The 23-year-old filmmaker had previously won the United Nations Nigeria Short Film Competition.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
AFRIFF programs both commercial Nollywood cinema and independent African and diaspora filmmaking. The festival accepts features, shorts, documentaries, animation, and student work across separate competitive categories. Films must be produced within the previous calendar year, and non-English films must include English subtitles. A complete press kit is required with each submission.
The festival's competitive structure rewards specificity. If your film is a Nigerian feature, submit to the Feature Film Competition. If it is an international feature, submit to the International Feature Competition. The festival separates African and international entries across most categories, including shorts and documentaries, which means international filmmakers compete among themselves rather than against the full field.
The 2025 edition introduced the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM), which runs alongside the screenings. Filmmakers attending in person can connect with distributors, investors, and sales agents at the market. The festival's partnership with Afreximbank's Creative Africa Nexus program provides co-production financing pathways for African filmmakers.
Industry Reputation Notes
AFRIFF is the primary industry-facing film festival in West Africa. Compared to FESPACO (Burkina Faso), which is older and government-backed with a pan-African competition focus, AFRIFF has a stronger commercial orientation through its Film and Content Market and partnerships with Afreximbank and MTN. Compared to the Durban International Film Festival (South Africa), AFRIFF has direct access to Nollywood's distribution infrastructure and the Nigerian box office, the largest in Africa.
The 2025 edition included sessions on distribution, marketing, content commissioning, and co-production, with international collaborators from France, Germany, South Africa, Brazil, and the USA. For filmmakers seeking distribution in African markets, AFRIFF offers direct access to Nigerian distributors and the Nollywood ecosystem. The AFCM launch in 2025 addressed the previous lack of a traditional film market.
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See Also
For Nollywood and West African cinema resources, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate your festival submission strategy.
