FilmOne Entertainment Arrives at TIFF: The Market as Sole Nigerian Buyer and Distributor

After five decades of informal deal making in Toronto, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) launched its debut fully fledged content market, TIFF: The Market, which was programmed to run alongside the festival from 10 to 16 September 2026. Nigeria’s FilmOne Entertainment is one of the six African buyers and the only official distributor representing Nigeria at the inaugural TIFF: The Market. The FilmOne team will meet with international sellers and industry stakeholders to acquire new titles, build distribution partnerships, and expand the reach of African cinema, with Nollywood content at the center of those conversations.

TIFF: The Market is a bold new expansion of the largest public film festival in the world. This dynamic marketplace brings together professionals from across film, series, and innovation to buy, sell, finance, pitch, and discover great content. With exhibition spaces, Market screenings, networking events, talks with industry leaders, creative development labs, and a cutting-edge Innovation Hub, the Market is designed to support strong alliances, unlock resources, and showcase extraordinary storytelling. 

According to Charles Tremblay, the head of TIFF:The Market and Anita Lee, TIFF’s chief programming officer, creating the market was in recognition of the immense industry power of TIFF. “What became apparent is TIFF, getting onto almost 50 years at that point, was already a festival that had a significant industry, or business, component.” Also, with no official market across North American film festivals — Sundance, New York, Telluride, Cannes Film Festival, and Berlin Film Festival, which have market arms having an eight-month gap between them and are domiciled in Europe, it became pivotal to the TIFF team to launch a content market. “I always believed it was a missed opportunity to not have an official market attached to the largest public film festival in the world,” Tremblay told Canadian Media Fund. “With no major markets affiliated with a major festival in the fall and none in the Americas, there’s a significant void in both time and space.”

The market has attracted over 130 international buyers from 49 countries, with attendees from Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Africa. This positions the market as another global marketplace for cross-border collaborations, creative and cultural exchange, and business opportunities. FilmOne, representing Nigeria, is one of the distributors and buyers championing African cinema. 

The market also has a curated African cohort: four companies from South Africa (Filmfinity, Forefront Media Group, Sun Africa Group, and Digicine) and one from Tunisia (Hakka Distribution). According to FilmOne, its presence at the inaugural TIFF: The Market is central to positioning Nigerian cinema directly in international film trade and acquisition conversations. “Nigeria has a seat at the table. From September 10–16 in Toronto, we’re here to buy, to build, and to keep opening the door wider for African cinema,” FilmOne Entertainment stated. 

FilmOne Entertainment is one of Nigeria’s leading media companies specializing in the distribution and production of high-grossing filmed content across West Africa. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Lagos, it serves as a central space for Nollywood by securing global streaming deals and dominating local cinema box offices. From Behind The Scenes, Battle on Buka Street, The Wedding Party franchise, and crime drama King of Boys, it has distributed some of contemporary Nollywood’s commercially successful and critically acclaimed titles. Thus, its presence at TIFF: The Market is anchored on building pathways for Nigerian and African stories to reach global markets.

As the sole Nigerian buyer and distributor, the company occupies a principal position in placing Nollywood films and productions in the global market. Operating out of the TIFF Lightbox, the company is using this exclusive platform to secure international distribution deals and license global content for West African cinemas. By participating in the market, FilmOne is directly positioning Nollywood filmmakers to secure major international co-production financing and streaming partnerships.