The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) aims to bridge cultural divides while celebrating African and diasporic storytelling. Founded in 2010 by entertainment executive Chioma Ude, the festival is now in its 15th edition and continues to serve as a world-class platform for emerging and established cinematic talent.
More than a decade later, AFRIFF has evolved into one of the continent’s most vibrant film gatherings. held annually in Nigeria, the week-long festival brings together an eclectic mix of filmmakers, actors, directors, and investors.
This year’s edition, themed Frames of the Future: Africa’s Creative Intelligence, has announced its international jury. The ten-member jury comprises filmmakers, film critics, and producers, bringing a wide range of perspectives to the festival. The panel includes festival programmer and jury coordinator Keith Shiri. Joining Keith are Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Fibby Kioria, Blessing Uzzi, Jerry Chiemeke, Michel Tabet, Tshepiso Chikapa, Femi Elufowoju Jr., Dr. Ahmed Al Othman, and Jemilah Alghali.
AFRIFF has now published its official selection: 68 films across features, documentaries, shorts and special presentations. Here are the Nollywood titles to watch.
Opening film: Lady
Director: Olive Nwosu | Country: Nigeria/UK
Lady is an independent taxi driver in Lagos, saving for a one-way bus ticket to Freetown. When she starts driving privately for a group of sex workers, her friendships with them change the course of her life, while the city around her boils over with protests against rising prices and fuel costs.
Olive Nwosu’s debut feature has had a remarkable year. It premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble, before screening at the Berlinale and the BFI London Film Festival.
AFRIFF will be its first publicly documented festival screening on the African continent, a fitting homecoming for a film Nwosu describes as a story told “from the inside” of Lagos. The Lagos-born, London-based director has called it “a bridge into a female, African way of seeing the world.”
The cast includes Jessica Gabriel Ujah, Amanda Oruh, Tinuade Jemiseye, Seun Kuti and Bucci Franklin.
Special Presentation: The Spectacular Death of Prisca
Director: Kaelo Iyizoba | Format: Short film
An overprotective mother is pulled into a fever-dream quest to rescue her daughter on her wedding day.
Kaelo Iyizoba’s short is a bold, retro love letter to the melodrama and style of 1980s and 2000s Nollywood. It stars Rita Dominic, who also served as executive producer. The film premiered in the Short Cuts section of the 51st Toronto International Film Festival, where it received an Honourable Mention for Best International Short Film. It now comes home to Lagos as one of AFRIFF’s Special Presentations.
World Premiere: Bad Blood
Director: Yemi “Filmboy” Morafa | Producer: Vincent Ezeni
Bolaji Ogunmola’s Bad Blood will have its global premiere at AFRIFF 2026. Directed by Yemi “Filmboy” Morafa from a screenplay by Bolanle Ayodele and Abosi Ogba, the film stars Shammah Agah, Blossom Chukwujekwu, Bolaji Ogunmola, Okey Uzoeshi, Darasimi Nadi and Najite Dede. Kene Bezioro is supervising producer.
Ogunmola announced the selection on Instagram, calling it an honour to bring the story to such a prestigious platform. The plot is still under wraps.
Ramat
Director: Steve Babaeko | Format: Short film
A young boy watches his father, a soldier, cry for the first time on the day Nigeria loses its leader.
Advertising and music executive Steve Babaeko turn to filmmaking with Ramat, a short drawn from his own childhood memory. It stars Gbubemi Ejeye, Samuel Adebola and Durotimi Okutagidi, with cinematography by Nora Oreoluwa Awolowo, whom Babaeko credits with capturing the story’s unspoken emotions. Ramat screens in AFRIFF’s shorts programme.
Features: Abeni
Directors: Esse Akwawa and Samuel Olasehinde | Studio: WEBEK Studios
In a world where forging is men’s work, a young woman named Abeni is determined to become a blacksmith, and pushes against every rule of her time to do it.
Adapted from an oral historical account that has never been formally written down, Abeni is the first feature from WEBEK Studios and the big-screen directorial debut of its CEO, Esse Akwawa, who co-directs with co-writer Samuel Olasehinde. Akwawa calls it “the resurrection of a forgotten story” and a tribute to “the bravery of women whose stories were not recorded.”
The film was shot in 14 days at Ibrahim Chatta’s Africhatta Film Village in Oyo State, with Chatta and Seun Dania as co-executive producers and Jonathan Kovel behind the camera. It was backed by CcHub in partnership with Africa No Filter, with support from the Gates Foundation. Abeni screens in AFRIFF’s features selection.
Closing film: It’s the Blackness
Director: Hakeem Kae-Kazim | Country: UK
Two Black graduates in Britain struggle with unemployment, relationships and family pressure in this dark comedy, written by Dapo Oshiyemi.
It might not Nollywood production, but It’s The Blackness has strong Nigerian ties. It’s the directorial debut of veteran actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and its cast includes Nigerian actors Kalu Ikeagwu and Dolapo Oni, alongside Daniel Davids, Matthew Morrison and Kierath Jandoo.
What else is new at AFRIFF 2026
- Paid tickets. For the first time, AFRIFF is introducing paid ticketing for screenings and events.
- A new award. The Pulse Rising Filmmaker Award, run with Pulse Nigeria, joins the Globe Awards to recognise emerging filmmakers.
- A focus on women. According to the organisers, 85% of selected films were made by women or tell stories about women.
- The film market returns. The second AFRIFF Film & Content Market runs from 2 to 5 November.
- AI filmmaking lab. Rise Interactive Studios founder Toyosi Akerele will host an AI filmmaking and content lab with TikTok on 6 November.
AFRIFF 2026 runs from November 1-7, with screenings, industry events, masterclasses across the week before the Globe Awards on the final day. The festival closes with the Globe Awards on 7 November.
More to come
The full programme is now live on the AFRIFF website, with many more Nigerian titles across the features, documentary and shorts strands. We’ll be covering more of them in the run-up to the festival.
Which of these are you most excited to see? Tell us in the comments.
