Four Thoughts on the 2026 AMVCA Nominations
7 hours ago
Marché du Film, also known as Cannes Film Market has announced Lagos as one of its partnering cities for the 2026 edition of the Goes to Cannes program taking place from May 15 to 18th 2026, at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) will represent Lagos in the showcase. The […]
1 month ago
Marché du Film, also known as Cannes Film Market has announced Lagos as one of its partnering cities for the 2026 edition of the Goes to Cannes program taking place from May 15 to 18th 2026, at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) will represent Lagos in the showcase. The remaining 2026 festival city partners include Adelaide (Australia), Hong Kong, Montevideo (Uruguay), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Tallinn (Estonia), and Tokvo (Japan).
The Marché du Film’s Goes to Cannes program was initiated in 2013 with the intent of showcasing and supporting works-in-progress from around the world. Yearly, the Marché du Film invites a selection of prestigious international film festivals and markets to curate their own pitch sessions, where they present a handful of films currently in post-production to potential sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers.
In May 2025, AFRIFF founder Chioma Ude signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy at Cannes. This Memorandum led to the creation of the AFRIFF Film and Content Market (AFCM) which kickastarted at the last AFRIFF. This invitation is a positioning of the Nigerian creative economy as a force for international engagement. It hints at a possible buildup for transformative exchange and opportunities for the Nigerian and broader African film ecosystems.
The Goes to Cannes initiative has been a vital launchpad for African and international films, specifically by allowing regional festivals and labs to present their works-in-progress to global distributors. The program offers an international platform for filmmakers, offering opportunities for global recognition, funding, and distribution.
AFRIFF, as a participating partner, will be operating as a curators tasked with choosing five to seven Nigerian and African titles which subtly represent the talent in its region. After this selection, during the market at Cannes, AFRIFF will be allocated 2 hours to pitch its curated titles to willing investors, sales agents and distributors. For each of the 5 or 7 selected films, the filmmakers are expected to present roughly 10 to 15 minutes of extended teaser to prove the film’s quality and tone with an additional opportunity of a live pitch explaining what they need to finish the film.
As of press time, AFRIFF has yet to announce its selection process and submission details. But, what is known is that for a project to be viable for consideration, it must be post-production, not screened at any international festival or released online. Additionally, for a 5-7-film slate, AFRIFF will be expected to diversify the genre for balance. This means that AFRIFF might select one high-concept thriller, one social drama, one documentary, one animation, and perhaps a historical epic. This intent is to show the full range of Nigerian and African cinema at this global stage.
For the selected Nigerian filmmakers, AFRIFF’S participation at the market is an opportunity to connect with financiers, sales agents and international distributors. It exposes selected filmmakers and projects to the possibility of securing a sales agent and festival premiere slots even before they finish making their film.
For the Nigerian and broader African film ecosystems, it’s a more structured exhortation of Nigerian stories and filmmakers to international spaces. Instead of individual filmmakers buying spaces at the market, the Nigerian ecosystem is being recognised.
