The Child Will Carry You, has been selected for the Project Market at the International Indian Ocean Film Festival (FIFOI). Taking place from April 14 to 19, 2026 in Saint-Paul, Réunion Island (France).
FIFOI is an international festival that brings together filmmakers and industry professionals from across the Indian Ocean region and beyond. As part of FIFOI: The Market, selected filmmakers are invited to present their projects to producers, financiers, and collaborators, opening up opportunities for development and co-production.
The project is a Nigerian/Kenyan co-production, and I will be presenting The Child Will Carry You as part of the Short Film Pitch selection, alongside a diverse group of filmmakers from Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, India, and Réunion Island. The selected projects include:
Chovu – Lydia Matata (Kenya)
Ngithembe (Trust Me) – Samke Makhoba (South Africa)
Sitraka Sy Telina – Aina Randrianatoandro (Madagascar)
Leaking Fridge, Crying Baby – Bauddhayan Mukherji (India)
Do Lo La Rivier I Koul Da’ Mèr – Célia Berby Maillot (Réunion Island)
Babouk-Man – Boris Lallemand (Réunion Island)
Bus Depot – Prantik Narayan Basu (India)
The Child Will Carry You – Cheta Chukwu (Kenya)
The Child Will Carry You is a psychological drama rooted in magical realism. It follows a grieving mother, haunted by the loss of her unborn child, who finds solace in her imaginative son. When his mysterious presence begins to slip away, she is forced to confront her grief and fight with everything she has to make him stay.
The project is produced by Kenyan producer Ivy Kiru (Free Money, Toronto International Film Festival) and Nigerian producer Orwi Manny Ameh (Hello Rain, BFI London Film Festival), and is currently in development.
Cheta Chukwu believes that:
Being selected for FIFOI’s Project Market is a meaningful step for me and for the project. It offers an opportunity to engage with an international network of filmmakers and industry professionals, and to continue building the film within a global context.
