The Story ⚡
In 2010, Chioma Ude started a festival in Lagos so African filmmakers could meet audiences and the international film business. Fifteen editions later, that meeting place has become the continent’s largest, and this November it arrives with a new theme, a full jury, paid tickets for the first time, and a clear look at what comes next.
Tell Me More
AFRIFF was founded by Chioma Ude in Lagos in 2010. Its purpose has remained consistent: to place African filmmakers in front of audiences, buyers and one another, and to train the people who will make the next generation of films. Fifteen editions later, it stands as the biggest platform on the continent where African storytellers meet the international film business.
Theme and Dates
The 15th edition runs from 1 to 7 November 2026 under the theme “Frames of the Future: Africa’s Creative Intelligence.” The theme examines the new business models, formats and trends reshaping African and global film. Screenings, industry sessions, masterclasses and the AFRIFF Film & Content Market take place across the week, ending with the Globe Awards on 7 November.
Venues
Activities are spread across several locations in Lagos.
Landmark Centre (Plot 2 & 3, Water Corporation Drive, Victoria Island) hosts masterclasses, workshops and selected industry sessions.
Twin Waters (Road Water, Okunde Bluewater Zone, off Remi Olowude / Corporation Road, Lekki) is the main base for the AFRIFF Film & Content Market and related networking.
The Palms Lekki (The Palms Shopping Mall, 1 Bisway Street, Maroko, Lekki) screens features, documentaries, shorts, student shorts, and animation.
These venues keep the festival concentrated in accessible parts of Victoria Island and Lekki while separating the market, learning sessions, and public screenings.
The Jury
The AFRIFF jury is assembled for programming excellence and artistic judgement. Its members share one task: to recognise African storytelling and identify the filmmakers whose work will shape the next decade. From thousands of submissions, they look for bold craft, clear vision and stories rooted in the continent.
The 2026 jury includes:
Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri (South Africa) – Producer and media executive; Founder and Group CEO of Known Associates Group and Chairperson of the Independent Producers’ Organisation. Credits include uBettina Wethu, Wild Is the Wind and The Umbrella Men, plus production executive work on Beast and The Woman King.
Blessing Uzzi (Nigeria) – Filmmaker, writer and producer; Founder of Bluhouse Studios. Her film Freedom Way premiered at Toronto in 2024, won the AFRIFF Jury Prize and took Best Movie and Best Writing at the 2025 AMVCA. She also produced and showran the Zikoko Life Series.
Keith Shiri (Zimbabwe) – Festival programmer and jury coordinator specialising in African cinema. Founder of Africa at the Pictures and the London African Film Festival; adviser to the BFI London Film Festival and Venice Film Festival.
Dr Ahmed Al Othman (Oman) – Journalist and film industry professional; AFRIFF 2025 jury alumnus and member of the Oman Film Society, focused on international relations and cultural exchange.
Jean-Pierre Bekolo (Cameroon) – Filmmaker, author and educator known for Quartier Mozart and Les Saignantes. He explores African realities through fiction, documentary and experimental work; taught at Duke University and was a Harvard McMillan-Stewart Fellow in 2024.
Fibby Kioria (Kenya) – Producer and creative leader; Founder of Mucii Pictures and former Program Director of Mira Nair’s Maisha Film Lab, where she oversaw more than thirty short films. Co-creator of Return to the Source and Locarno Open Doors selection committee member.
Jerry Chiemeke (Nigeria) – Writer, film critic and journalist; Berlinale Talents and Talents Durban alumnus, pioneering Editor-in-Chief of Afrocritik and recipient of the Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize for Criticism.
Michel Tabet (France/Lebanon) – Filmmaker and anthropologist affiliated with CNRS and the French Institute for the Near East. Films include Voices from Kasserine, Méditerranée, and Habiter Beyrouth.
Femi Elufowoju Jr. OBE (Nigeria/United Kingdom) – Playwright, actor, director and producer; Founder of Tiata Fahodzi. Credits include The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives and Opera North’s Rigoletto. Received an OBE for services to drama in 2023.
Jemilah Alghali (Sierra Leone/United States) – Entertainment marketing and brand strategy executive at BET Media Group. Campaigns include the BET Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Love & Hip Hop Miami and Tyler Perry productions.
Opening and Closing Films
The festival opens with Lady, written and directed by Olive Nwosu. The Lagos-set story follows a young female taxi driver drawn into the lives of a group of sex workers. It has already screened at Sundance (Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble), Berlinale, and the BFI London Film Festival.
It closes with It’s the Blackness, Hakeem Kae-Kazim’s feature directorial debut. The black comedy-drama follows two close friends navigating ambition, family pressure and immigration challenges. The cast includes Kalu Ikeagwu and Dolapo Oni.
Film Selection
Organisers have selected 135 films, including 23 features. Fifty-five per cent of the feature selection involves women as directors, producers or central subjects. Special presentations include international titles shown in partnership with diplomatic missions.
Among the films screening this year are:
Lady (Olive Nwosu)
It’s the Blackness (Hakeem Kae-Kazim)
The Traitor (Marco Bellocchio)
Sentimental Value (Joachim Trier)
If I Go Will They Miss Me (Walter Thompson-Hernández)
The Spectacular Death of Prisca (Kaelo Iyizoba)
Slum Bomber (Maureen Jolly Nankya)
One Woman One Bra (Vincho Nchogu)
A Common Story (Anna Foglietta)
Variations on a Theme (Devon Delmar & Jason Jacobs)
These titles form part of a wider selection that also includes documentaries, shorts, animation and student works.
AFRIFF Film & Content Market (AFCM)
The second edition of AFCM runs from 2 to 5 November at Twin Waters, Lagos. Born out of the festival, it is Nigeria’s first dedicated film market and positions itself as a trade platform for global collaborations. Under the same theme, “Frames of the Future: Africa’s Creative Intelligence,” it focuses on film and series, innovative formats and new business models, providing a space where content is sold, financed, and co-produced.
Daily Schedule
| Date | Focus | Key Activities |
| Sun 1 Nov | Opening Night | Opening Gala & screening |
| Mon 2 – Thu 5 Nov | AFCM · Film & Content Market | Screenings, industry sessions, panels, market meetings at Twin Waters |
| Mon 2 Nov | Cinema Across Borders | Screenings & industry sessions |
| Tue 3 Nov | New Voices | Shorts, animation & masterclasses |
| Wed 4 Nov | Women in Film | Panels, screenings & networking |
| Thu 5 Nov | Made in Africa | Co-productions & market spotlights |
| Fri 6 Nov | AFRIFF x CANEX WKND | Music, culture & creator showcases |
| Sat 7 Nov | Globe Awards | Closing programme |
Screening times will be published once the full programme is released.
Masterclasses and Workshops
Practical sessions are led by working professionals, mainly at Landmark Centre.
AI Filmmaking — Storytelling in the Age of Artificial Intelligence with Obinna Okerekeocha (Founder, Nigerian AI Film Festival). Covers script development, pre-visualisation, editing, sound and distribution, plus the creative and ethical questions raised for African storytelling.
Acting Masterclass — Craft, Character and Command of the Screen with Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD). Focuses on character preparation, emotional truth, presence, and sustaining a career across decades.
Producing Masterclass — From Idea to Box Office with Femi Adebayo. Follows the producer’s path from script development and financing through production to delivery.
Acting for the Screen — Craft, Character and Performance with Hilda Dokubo. Covers character development, emotional expression, script interpretation, and authentic screen performance.
Animation Workshop — Building Worlds Frame by Frame with Esther Kemi Gbadamosi (Founder & Creative Director, Radioxicity), in partnership with TheCOLOREDANIME. Explores character and world-building and the pipelines that bring African animated stories to global audiences.
Cinematography Workshop — Light, Composition and Visual Storytelling with Kirby Griffin. Looks at how light, composition and camera movement carry story, drawing on experience shooting for BET, Revolt TV, HBO and collaborating with cinematographers such as Bradford Young and Arthur Jafa.
Tickets and Registration
For the first time, AFRIFF is selling tickets for screenings and events. Previously, attendance was free. The festival is open to everyone. Access covers every screening from 1 to 7 November across the Lagos venues. Early-bird pricing will be announced soon.
Two main options are currently available:
- Festival Pass – Regular (6 days) costs ₦35,000 and grants entry to all festival screenings except the Opening Gala Night.
- Masterclass costs ₦9,000 and gives access to the practical training sessions led by industry professionals.
Register and purchase tickets through the official website afriff.com. General attendee (Festivalia), industry, and guest categories exist; masterclasses and workshops require separate registration after the main registration is complete.
In Summary
AFRIFF 15 starts on November 1. The programme is wide, the jury is experienced, and the opening and closing films say a lot about where Lagos storytelling sits. Join the mailing list now, so you’re first in line when seats open.
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