The Annual Film Mischief (TAFM) organizers have announced the official film selections with the theme ‘Reclaiming Self’. Organized by the Film Rats Club, founded by Chukwu Martins. The festival prides itself in lending a voice and platform to indie-inclined filmmakers. It’s a great start to meet fellow upcoming filmmakers and film clubs that one could learn from.
Since its launch in 2022, TAFM has showcased a number of remarkable films. That embody its mission of celebrating bold, independent storytelling. The inaugural edition opened with Chuko and Ari Esiri’s Eyimofe, while Owen Olowu’s Songs of Ubong won the Grand Cheese Prize. That year also featured Yahoo+, which went on to secure nationwide distribution.
In 2023, standout projects included Kagho Idhebor’s award-winning short Broken Mask. Chude Jideonwo’s Awaiting Trial, and Allen Onyige’s Sunset in Makoko, which swept four major prizes. Seun Afolabi’s Atoka also won the Audience Choice Award. While Chukwu Martin’s We Are Not Men Anymore was praised for its strong performances.
The 2024 edition carried the momentum forward with socially charged titles. Such as With Difficulty Comes Ease, Chude Jideonwo’s documentary Where is Chijioke? And Adio Solanke and Adesuwa Omonzokpia’s family drama Between Silence & Truth. Reinforcing the festival’s role as a platform for daring and culturally resonant films.
This year, the Annual Film Mischief festival will be held in four African countries: Ghana, from October 9 to 11; Nigeria (Lagos and Abuja), from October 16 to 19; Tanzania, from October 29 to 31; and Kenya, from November 1 to 2. Following its open call for submissions across Africa, a total of 16 films was selected. This years jury list includes Nwakaego Boyo, Francis Y. Brown, Chloe Geng and Victor Sanchez Aghahowa.
Here’s a list of what to expect during the festival run:
Irin Ajo (The Journey) by Myde Glover (Nigeria)
Directed and written by Myde Glover, the film follows Manuel, his wife Trish, and their daughter Chi on a road trip to reconnect with Trish’s estranged family. As they draw closer, Trish grows distant. And Manuel soon discovers unsettling truths that challenge their marriage and the life they’ve built together.
Glover describes the project as a cultural excavation rooted in Yoruba mythology and spirituality, inspired by childhood stories and research that revealed similar beliefs across African traditions. “This film celebrates our heritage while inviting conversations about reality, myth, and possibility,” she says.
Co-produced with Morenikeji Uka, the film stars Timilehin Ojeola, Nneoma Onyekwele, Rotimi Adelegan, and Eyiyemi Olivia Rogbinyin, and promises a rich, thought-provoking cinematic experience that honors the timeless tradition of African storytelling.
Kanta: No Challengers by Gbolahan Qudus Laniyan (Nigeria)
Directed by Gbolahan Qudus Laniyan Kanta is set in the mind of a young man. Who continues to fight even when there is no one there. His inner monologues reveal that he has no idea why he fights in the first place, but he admits that he has no choice in the matter. However, he wonders if there might have been a different life for him.
Writer, Gbolahan Qudus Olaniyan. Produced by Olakunle Laniyan and Boluwatife Adeyemo, the cast includes Kevin Zaria Laveso, Ummul Kulthum Abubakar, Emmanuel Akoji Awunor and Justin Odesola
Fofo Means Father by Denzel Owoo (Ghana)
Directed by Denzel Owoo, the film began as a simple experiment but quickly evolved into one of his most emotional journeys. At its centre is his friend Fofo, who took a leap of faith by sharing a deeply personal story he had rarely spoken about. For Fofo, the process was cathartic; for Owoo, it was both a lesson in mental health and an opportunity to reconnect with an old friend on a deeper level.
Produced by Denzel Owoo and Thomas Bundi, the film stars Fofo Gavua.
Barely Making Much by Ian Nnyanzi (Uganda)
Written by Nnyanzi, Barely Making Much follows two girls through a day filled with seemingly ordinary activities, yet imbued with profound connection and care. Produced by Arlen Dilsizian, the cast includes Antonette Nasike, Ajatum Mercy and Meme Blaq Angel.
According to Nnyanzi, this story draws from an interest in highlighting identity and draws from experiences. “My work explores identity, memory, and the tension between personal and collective experience. I’m drawn to experimental forms that allow for emotion, intuition, and atmosphere to lead the story. I use film to document what often goes unnoticed—rituals, silence, fragments of daily life—and to create space for reflection rather than answers. Kampala is my grounding point; it shapes both the chaos and clarity in my visual language“.
The Grief by Shittu Opeyemi Abdulafiz (Nigeria)
Directed by Shittu Opeyemi Abdulafiz and produced by Ijehon Desmond Ehime, The Grief is a poignant documentary that delves into the depths of loss, capturing the raw and unfiltered experiences of people navigating sorrow while seeking healing. It reveals how, even in the darkest moments, hope continues to surface.
For Shittu, the film is more than a documentary — it is a personal journey of healing. “The Grief is my way of processing experiences I once overlooked,” he explains. “It gave me a chance to truly understand what grief means and to let others facing similar struggles know they are not alone.”
Mother by Olamide Adio and Victor Daniel (Nigeria)
Set against the slow pulse of Ibadan, Mother is a quiet yet devastating short film about familial duty, emotional repression, and the extremities of grief.
Omowunmi, a spirited young tailor, is caught between the early stirrings of an unplanned pregnancy with her lover, Sanni, and the quiet obligation of caring for her father, still broken a year after his wife’s death. What begins as an ordinary day spirals into a haunting revelation, as the line between sacrifice and trauma dissolves.
According to Adio and Daniel, their joint experience with loss helped shape this story. As well as a desire to study the living and the distorted shapes they become in trying to keep the memories from slipping away. In Adio’s words, “We made Mother as a way to examine the extremity of grief, not to glorify it, but to test how far it can twist love, duty, and memory. We weren’t interested in sentimentality. We wanted silence, suggestion, and shadow”.
Produced by Sherif Oloruninu Adekunle, the cast includes Bisi Ariyo, Ropo Ewenla, Iyanuoluwa Ajibike and EyiyemiOlivia Rogbinyin.
Critical Mass NBO by Alex Kanyi Kanyi Maina (Kenya)
Directed by Alex Kanyi Kanyi Maina and produced by Muti Gits Gitau, this documentary follows the vibrant community of cyclists in Nairobi who regularly take to the streets to champion inclusion, equity, and diversity in urban planning. United under the mantra “Share the Road,” these riders highlight the importance of non-motorized transport and demand the respect it deserves.
The film captures their powerful show of solidarity, challenging social class myths while advocating for dignity and resilience in the face of the global climate crisis. It also underscores cycling’s vital role in the transition to green energy, its contribution to easing the global healthcare burden, and its direct link to 10 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Nafasi (The Chance) by Sudi Mohamedi Masomwa (Tanzania)
Directed by Sudi Mohamedi Masomwa, this film tells the story of a young mother determined to return to school after childbirth. With her mother’s support, she petitions the headteacher, only to face firm opposition rooted in prejudice — the school insists that parents and children cannot coexist in the same classroom. When hope seems lost, the daughter decides to fight for her own future.
In his director’s statement, Masomwa highlights the gap between policy and practice in Tanzania. Although the government permits girls to continue their education after pregnancy, deep-seated traditional beliefs and societal stigma still block their path. This film exposes those barriers, challenging audiences to confront the urgent need for change and equal access to education.
Zawadi Ya Mjomba (The Uncle’s Gift) by Fadhili Meta (Tanzania)
Directed by Fadhili Meta, Zawadi Ya Mjomba unfolds in a household where elders command absolute respect, and children Piu and Zuberi never dared refuse what was offered — especially food. Haunted by the childhood tale of their friend Shani, who was said to have turned into a crow after rejecting her grandmother’s vegetables, the siblings grow up under the weight of superstition that shapes their every choice.
In his director’s statement, Meta reveals the personal roots of the story. He recalls a vivid childhood memory of receiving a pack of biscuits from his uncle. A gift he didn’t like but felt compelled to accept. Afraid of seeming ungrateful, he would secretly give the biscuits away to friends before pretending to have eaten them. Produced by Nafasi Arts Space and Fadhili Meta, the film stars Ibrahimu Mtanga, Steven Mapunda, Zainabu Juma, and Gerald Sanga.
Unasemaje? by Kelvin Kagambo (Tanzania)
Written and directed by Kelvin Kagambo, the film follows a young woman in a fictional East African coastal town who becomes mysteriously pregnant just weeks before her wedding. She insists it is an immaculate conception, a claim that throws her world into turmoil. Her traditional mentor, her mother, and her fiancé — each with conflicting perspectives — are forced to confront the situation and decide what comes next.
Produced by Wilson Nkya, the film stars Hidaya Boli, Daniel Faber, Ziara Shamte, and Habiba Cholage.
Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences? by Cheyi Oluwaseun Okoaye (Nigeria)
Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences? is a comedic sci-fi short that throws a man’s past, present, and future selves into the same moment — with hilarious results. His future self is desperate to return and chase the life he’s always dreamed of, his past self is thrilled at the chance to rekindle old relationships, while his present self chooses to sit back and revel in the absurd chaos unfolding around him.
In his director’s statement, creator Cheyi Okoaye explains that the film is, at its core, a character study. Rather than focusing on sci-fi spectacle, he wanted to use time travel as a lens to explore identity — who a man was, who he is, and who he might become. The paradox of self-reflection fascinated him and sparked the idea for the film: “Its core purpose is to provoke thought and spark curiosity about the absurdity of self-reflection and its paradoxical nature, especially when it manifests through time travel.”
Written by Cheyi Okoaye, who also stars in the film, Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences? is produced by Okoaye himself.
Behind the Smile by Hassan Tha Kreator (Nigeria)
Sprouting by Lilitha Baartman and Tumiso Mokobodi (South Africa)
Beyond Olympic Glory by Shedrack Salami (Nigeria)
Out of Competition
Tell It No More by Chukwu Martin (Nigeria)
Wrong Way by Nana Kofi Asihene (Ghana)
Directed by Nana Kofi Asihene, the film follows Manan, a young man desperate to support his mother. Alongside his friends Fiifi and Ben, he takes part in a bus robbery — but the plan quickly unravels, with devastating consequences.
Asihene explains that he was drawn to the story because of its exploration of intent versus outcome. “Every bad action may be rooted in good intentions,” he notes. “But consequences only ever tell one side of the story.”
Written by Lawrencia Aphua Larbi-Amoah, the film is produced by Asihene, Larbi-Amoah, and Isaac “Skyface” Mensah. It stars Alfred Quainoo, Andrew Adote Tandoh, and Kenneth Lettu.
Conclusion
The Annual Mischief Film Festival reinforces its reputation as a bold platform for daring storytellers and thought-provoking cinema. As just one of several Nigerian film festivals set to hold before the year ends, it highlights Nollywood’s growing commitment to celebrating diverse voices and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Additional updates on the selections will be made available soon.
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