AFRIFF 2026 opens in Lagos with Sundance prize-winner Lady and 119 films

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) opened its 15th edition in Lagos on Sunday, 1 November, and runs until Saturday, 7 November, according to the festival's official website.

This year's theme is "Frames of the Future: Africa's Creative Intelligence". AFRIFF's official selection lists 119 films across nine categories, including features, documentaries, shorts, animation and student shorts. Screenings take place in Victoria Island and Lekki.

The opening film is Lady, the first feature from Nigerian writer-director Olive Nwosu, listed for an invitation-only screening on the opening night. The Lagos-set drama won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, according to the Sundance Institute. The closing film is Hakeem Kae-Kazim's It's the Blackness, scheduled for Friday, 6 November, at Landmark Cinemas.

The festival's industry strand, the AFRIFF Film & Content Market (AFCM), runs from Monday, 2 November, to Thursday, 5 November, at Twinwaters in Lekki, alongside a Producers Lab. AFRIFF says its masterclasses, featuring names including Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD) and Femi Adebayo, are free with registration.

A 10-member international jury, announced by AFRIFF on 9 October, includes filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bekolo, Bluhouse Studios founder Blessing Uzzi and BET Media Group executive Jemilah Alghali, with curator Keith Shiri as jury coordinator. Winners will be announced at the Globe Awards on 7 November.