Overview
The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is Nigeria's premier international film festival and one of Africa's most significant film industry events. The 14th edition ran November 2 to 8, 2025, in Lagos. The 15th edition is scheduled for November 1 to 7, 2026, at the Landmark Centre in Lekki, Lagos. AFRIFF programs African and diaspora cinema alongside international films, and starting with the 2025 edition, includes a dedicated Film and Content Market (AFCM) - Nigeria's first - designed to facilitate buying, selling, co-productions, and distribution of content.
AFRIFF occupies a unique position at the intersection of Nollywood's commercial film industry and the art cinema tradition. Nollywood is the world's second-largest film industry by volume, producing thousands of films per year and generating an estimated $6.4 billion in annual revenue. AFRIFF programs both independently produced art films and commercially oriented Nollywood productions, creating a bridge between these two sectors that few other African festivals attempt.
For filmmakers, AFRIFF provides the most important domestic international platform in Nigeria. For African filmmakers, its Lagos location provides access to the continent's largest film market. For international filmmakers, AFRIFF offers entry into one of the world's most dynamic and rapidly growing film industries. The 2026 theme is "Frames of the Future: Africa's Creative Intelligence." AFRIFF also partners with the Marche du Film's "Goes to Cannes" program, showcasing five selected African films at Cannes in May 2026.
Submissions are accepted via FilmFreeway. Entry fees are $20 (regular) / $25 (late) for features and documentaries, with lower rates for shorts, animation, and student films. Discounts are available for students and FilmFreeway Gold members. The festival does not pay rental or screening fees for submitted works in competition.
Key Sections
- Feature Film Competition - African and international feature films competing for jury prizes
- Documentary Competition - nonfiction features in competition
- Short Film Competition - African and international short films
- Animation Competition - animated films
- Student Short Competition - short films by students
- AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM) - Nigeria's first dedicated film and content market, running November 3 to 6 during the 2025 edition. Facilitates buying, selling, co-productions, and distribution deals between creators, distributors, studios, and financiers.
- Industry Sessions - 60- to 90-minute panels and fireside chats (4 to 6 speakers plus moderator) covering financing, co-production, distribution, animation/gaming, television, and continental collaboration. Conducted over multiple days with 3 to 5 sessions per day.
- Masterclasses and Workshops - training programs for filmmakers
- Special Screenings - gala premieres and curated programs
- AFRIFF Globe Awards - the festival's award ceremony, typically closing the festival week
Past Winners
The 2025 Special Jury Prize winner The Eyes of Ghana by Ben Proudfoot (two-time Oscar winner for Best Documentary Short) premiered at TIFF 2025 as the opening film of the documentary sidebar. Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama through Higher Ground Productions, the film follows 93-year-old Ghanaian cinematographer Chris Hesse's quest to rescue over 1,300 films documenting the birth of African independence.
The 2025 Best Feature Film winner To Adaego With Love by Nwamaka Chikezie is a historical romance set in 1975 post-civil war Nigeria, distributed by Tribe Nation Theatrical Distribution. The film features the final screen appearance of singer and actress Onyeka Onwenu. The 2025 Audience Choice winner Son of the Soil by Chee Keong Cheung is a Lagos-set action film and UK-Nigerian co-production.
The 2024 Best Film winner Phoenix Fury by Ifeoma Chukwuogo was the director's debut feature, distributed by FilmOne Distributions. It carried a N4.5 million cash prize. The 2023 Best Feature Film winner Funmilayo Ransom Kuti by Bolanle Austen-Peters also won Best Screenplay and went on to win at the AMVCA 2024.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- *Phoenix Fury* (2024, dir. Ifeoma Chukwuogo, Nigeria) - Won Best Film and Best Director at AFRIFF 2024. Chukwuogo's debut feature. Distributed by FilmOne Distributions. Stars Ama K. Abebrese and Richard Mofe-Damijo.
- *Funmilayo Ransom Kuti* (2023, dir. Bolanle Austen-Peters, Nigeria) - Won Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay at AFRIFF 2023. Screenwriter Tunde Babalola also won at AMVCA 2024. The biopic covers 50 years of the activist's life.
- *All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White (2023, dir. Babatunde Apalowo) - Won the Special Jury Prize at AFRIFF 2023. A queer romantic drama that shared the honor with White Nanny Black Child*.
- *The Delivery Boy* (2018, dir. Adekunle Adejuyigbe, Nigeria) - Won Best Nigerian Film at AFRIFF. Also screened at the African Film Festival in New York and Nollywood Week Paris. Adejuyigbe was shortlisted as one of 21 emerging cinematographers by the Berlin film festival.
- *The Eyes of Ghana* (2025, dir. Ben Proudfoot, USA) - Won the Special Jury Prize and Best Documentary at AFRIFF 2025. Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Premiered at TIFF 2025.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
AFRIFF accepts submissions exclusively via FilmFreeway. Entry fees are affordable: $20 (regular) or $25 (late) for features and documentaries, with lower rates for shorts, animation, and student films. Discounts are available for students and FilmFreeway Gold members.
Only films produced within the previous calendar year are eligible. Non-English or foreign-language films must be subtitled in English. A complete press kit is required with each submission. The festival does not pay rental or screening fees for submitted works in competition.
The festival's focus on African cinema and diaspora voices means that African filmmakers and filmmakers of African descent have a natural advantage in selection. The 2024 edition received 160 films, including 60 feature-length entries, from over 100 countries. Selections are announced in October, with all entrants notified by email.
AFRIFF's partnership with the Marche du Film's "Goes to Cannes" program provides additional exposure: five selected African films are showcased at Cannes in May, before the festival itself in November. This creates a two-stage international platform for selected filmmakers.
Industry Reputation Notes
AFRIFF was founded in 2010 by Chioma Ude, a Nigerian marketing professional who identified a gap for a local festival showcasing African and diasporan cinema. The inaugural edition was held in Port Harcourt with 13 films in the official selection. By 2024, the festival received 160 films from over 100 countries.
The 2025 edition marked a significant development with the introduction of the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM), Nigeria's first dedicated film and content marketplace. The market runs November 3 to 6 alongside the festival at the Landmark Centre in Lekki, Lagos, facilitating buying, selling, co-productions, and distribution deals. Combined with the Durban FilmMart (Southern Africa) and FESPACO (Francophone Africa), AFRIFF completes the trio of continent-defining African film industry events.
AFRIFF is partnered with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy. The festival's 2025 Herbert Wigwe Award for Excellence honored actor David Oyelowo for amplifying African stories globally, alongside music star Flavour and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah.
The festival operates alongside the Abuja International Film Festival (founded 2004), which focuses on cultural policy and national identity. Where AIFF positions itself around government engagement, AFRIFF operates in Lagos's commercial heart, focusing on industry networking, market deals, and the Nollywood ecosystem.
Major Awards
The AFRIFF Globe Awards are presented at the festival's closing ceremony. Categories include Best Feature Film, Best International Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Animation, Best Student Short, Audience Choice Award, and Jury Prize for Outstanding Film.
2025 Globe Awards Winners (14th Edition)
- Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Film: The Eyes of Ghana by Ben Proudfoot (USA). Also won Best Documentary. Executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, premiered at TIFF 2025.
- Best Feature Film: To Adaego With Love by Nwamaka Chikezie (Nigeria). Also won Best Screenplay (Brenda Garuba).
- Best International Film: Pasa Faho by Kalu Oji (Australia)
- Best Director: Zoey Martinson for The Fisherman (Ghana)
- Best Male Performance: Richard Bamgbaye for Aljana (Nigeria)
- Best Female Performance: Michelle Lemuya Ikeny for Nawi (Kenya)
- Audience Choice: Son of the Soil by Chee Keong Cheung (UK, Nigeria)
- Best International Documentary: TUKKI: From Roots to Bayou by Vincent Le Gal and Alune Wade (France, Ghana, Senegal, USA)
- Best Animation: The Travails of Ajadi by Adeoye Adetunji (Nigeria)
- Best Short Film: The Day The Heart Died by Russell Oru (Nigeria)
- Best Student Short: The Labyrinth by Toluwalope Okunade (France)
- Best International Short: Majini by Joshua Neubert and Victor Muhagachi (Germany)
- Herbert Wigwe Award for Excellence: David Oyelowo, Flavour, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, Governor Peter Mbah
2024 Globe Awards Winners (13th Edition)
- Best Film: Phoenix Fury by Ifeoma Chukwuogo (Nigeria). Also won Best Director. Carried a N4.5 million cash prize.
- Best International Feature: Calladita (Spain)
- Best Screenplay: The Man Died by Bode Asiyanbi
- Best Female Performance: Uzoamaka Onuoha for Agemo
- Best Male Performance: Alexander Karim for The Dog (Kenya)
Festival History
AFRIFF was founded in 2010 by Chioma Ude and held its first edition in Port Harcourt, with 13 films in the official selection. In 2011, the festival moved to Lagos, receiving 180 submissions and selecting 63. The first editions presented five Globe Awards: Best Feature Film, People's Choice, Best Short, Best Documentary, and Best Animation.
Over 14 editions, AFRIFF has grown from a screening event into a full industry platform with a dedicated film market, industry sessions, masterclasses, and international partnerships. The 2025 edition (AFRIFF 14) introduced the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM), Nigeria's first dedicated film marketplace. The 2026 edition (AFRIFF 15, November 1 to 7) builds on this with the theme "Frames of the Future: Africa's Creative Intelligence."
Practical Information
- 2026 dates: November 1 to 7, 2026
- Location: Landmark Centre, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
- Submission platform: FilmFreeway
- Entry fees: $20 (regular) / $25 (late) for features; lower for shorts and students
- 2026 submission deadlines: Regular August 6, Late August 26, Notifications by October 3
- Contact: programmes@afriff.com
- Website: afriff.com
Watch
See Also
For Nollywood and African cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For the Abuja International Film Festival, see Abuja International Film Festival. For festival submission strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. To calculate the return on festival submission spending, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For submissions, visit the AFRIFF FilmFreeway page.
