AFRIFF 2025: Few Great Films and Manifold Chaos

The 14th edition of the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) and 1st edition of the African Film and Content Market (AFCM) commenced on November 2nd and ended on the 8th November, 2025. Themed Rhythms of The Continent: The Afrobeats Film Movement, the festival opened with festivity and the screening of Oluseyi Asurf’s 3 Cold Dishes, the festival’s opening film. The film screening officially started on 3rd November, 2025 with the screening of feature films at Landmark Lekki and short films at Twin Waters, simultaneously. 

Planning for AFRIFF and AFCM commenced months ago. In September, the AFRIFF team organized a press conference to introduce and intimate Nollywood filmmakers and possible buyers and sellers of African films to the patterns of a film market. Prior to this, few  Nigerian filmmakers had attended a film market. The press conference was a miniature lecture on the ethics of an international film market, which AFRIFF intends to model. Also, at the Nigerian Pavilion (Screen Nigeria) at Cannes Film Festival 2025, Chioma Ude, founder of AFRIFF, announced the launch of AFCM in the presence of Her Excellency Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Culture, Dr. Ali Nuhu, Managing Director, Nigeria Film Corporation, Dennis Ruh, Managing Director, Seriesly Berlin (Germany), and comedian Bovi. 

The months-long preparation presented AFRIFF the opportunity to redefine its soiled identity as a disorganized film festival but this year’s screening experience still fell short. The chaos began from day one. 

Jevon Boreland’s Welcome, slated to open the screening, wasn’t shown. This botched screening was followed by another setback: Nawi, directed by Kevin Schmutzler, Toby Schmutzler, Apuu Mourine Munyes, and Vallentine Chellugets was delayed for over one hour and with flimsy explanations. Kalu Oji’s Pasa Faho, also screened an hour after its scheduled time. At first, in classic AFRIFF fashion, no one offered any explanation for the delay. It took Okey Bakassi’s, Pasa Faho’s lead, the director and the producers’ presence for  implausible excuses to be given, and even then, only to the filmmakers. The courtesy was not offered to the audience who had spent resources and time to attend the festival. The film was eventually screened but what was certain is this: if the filmmakers weren’t present, Pasa Faho wouldn’t have shown. Sadly, this is the reality of some of the AFRIFF selected films. This recap can’t speak authoritatively to the reality of the AFRIFF 2025 short film scheduled to screen at Twins Waters but there were also complaints about scrapped and delayed screenings. 14 years after, AFRIFF is incapable of curating a hitch-free film festival. 

This lacklustre administrative attitude marked the opening and subsequent days of the festival. The multiple screening delays aside, the underwhelming selected films call into question the selection committee’s expertise. Complaints about the screening experience were commonplace and the selected films weren’t great either. Festival selected films are considered sacred, this is rooted in attendees’ trust in the curatorial authority and the rigor of the selection process. The selection process is expected to filter out shoddy and disappointing films and filmmakers, and chosen films ought to hold significant artistic merit or innovative storytelling. This justifies the immediate respect and credibility a filmmaker or film receives when they are part of a festival’s official selection. However, in recent years, AFRIIF has repeatedly programmed films that call their credibility into question and undermine the perceived integrity of its selection process.  

AFRIFF has run for 14 years and as one of the premiere African film festivals, one expects better. The festival has painstakingly programmed films, panel conversations and initiatives hoping to propel the African film industry forward. This year’s panel sessions with its star-studded panelists and newly-created AFCM is indicative of this touted rich programming. However, the films and the screening experience, which is the foundation of a film festival, has been shoddy. The festival has curated better films and designed better screening experiences in the past, but in recent times, the festival has begun to lose its credibility. Out of more than 70 selected films, it was difficult to identify 10 great films. There were too many passable films with strong premises that fluttered in story execution. At some point, it becomes important to ask: is AFRIFF still worthy of being called a film festival or is it now a film event? 

AFRIFF’s unfavorable screening experience and programming has, over the years, inspired apathy for the festival. Critics and general audiences attendance is dwindling. The crowd is shrinking but their attention is devoted to shiny panels featuring accomplished panelists and filmmakers. 

AFRIFF is losing or may have already lost the sacredness attached to a film festival. Its recent selections don’t reflect a rigorous selection process, and  the aura of exclusivity that should accompany a festival’s official selection has dwindled. The festival hasn’t served as a launchpad for the career of Nigerian filmmakers in any meaningful way. Festivals are high-stakes and exclusive environments where artistic innovation and exceptional filmmakers are discovered and the future of an industry begins to take shape. But, all of these are conspicuously absent at AFRIFF.

The festival ended with the AFRIFF 2025 Globe Awards. The winners include: Richard Bamgbaiye for Best Actor in a Film Feature, To Adaego with Love for Best Film Feature, Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman for Best Director in a Film Feature, Kalu Oji’s Pasa Faho as the winner of Best International Film Feature, Brenda Ogbukaa-Garuba’s To Adaego with Love for Best Screenplay, Peter Fada’s Beyond the Screen for Best Documentary Short, and Ben Proudfoot’s The Eyes of Ghana for  Best Documentary Film and the Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Film. Vincent Le Gal & Alune Wade’s Tukki: From Roots to Bayou won Best International Documentary, Adeoye Adetunji’s The Travails of Ajadi won Best Animation, Russel Ori’s The Day the Heart Died won Best Short Film, and Joshua Neubert & Victor Muhagachi’s Majini won Best International Short Film. Nigerian Businessman, Hakeem Muri Okunola, Nigerian Music Star, Flavour and Hollywood Actor, David Oyelowo took home the Herbert Wigwe Award of Excellence. However, from an industry perspective, what relevance do these awards have on the career, artistic perspective, and direction of these filmmakers? 

AFRIFF enthusiastic attendees are becoming more apathetic, films are being shown to an almost-empty hall and critics are getting more disinterested in attending and documenting the festival. AFRIFF isn’t reflecting on its past mistakes and if it does, it doesn’t get reflected in its actions and inactions. But, yes, AFRIFF is trying!