The NIFS Partners NollywoodWeek Film Festival to Curate Opportunities for African Cinema in Europe

The Nigerian International Film & TV Summit, in collaboration with NollywoodWeek (NOW!) Film Festival is launching a strategic partnership to create new opportunities for African cinema in Europe.  

The NollywoodWeek Film Festival and NITV Summit, which is set to take place in Paris from 6-10 May, 2026, will connect African storytellers with French and global industry stakeholders, including investors, broadcasters, buyers, co-producers, and financiers. The program will feature the Best of Africa Pitch (for in-development and completed projects), panel discussions, screenings, workshops, and networking sessions designed to boost visibility, funding, distribution, and global collaboration. 

NOW! is an annual curated showcase held in Paris, France, dedicated to celebrating and promoting the best of Nigerian cinema and the global African diaspora. Launched in 2013 by Serge Noukoué and Nadira Shakur, NOW!  has grown into a major cultural bridge between African filmmakers and European audiences. Although it primarily focuses on Nigerian productions, the festival has expanded to include high-quality films, animations, and TV series from across Africa and the diaspora. The 14th edition is scheduled to take place from 6th to May 10th, 2026, at the Cinéma l’Arlequin, 76 Rue de Rennes, Paris.

In Nigeria, the NIFS hosts a major annual industry event that focuses on the business and monetization aspects of the Nigerian creative sector. NIFS is designed as a strategic platform for filmmakers, distributors, and investors to bridge the gap between Nollywood and the global market. Founded in 2016 by Ijeoma Onah, the summit has served as a hub for high-level networking and policy discussion. One of its primary goals is to examine how Nollywood titles can meet international standards and secure better distribution across global territories, including North America and Europe. By hosting workshops and training programs, NIFS connects government stakeholders and private investors to discuss financing models, tax laws, and the structural decisions needed to sustain the industry’s growth.

NIFS also hosts smaller, specialized international events at different festivals to maintain Nollywood’s presence on the global stage. From NIFS at TIFF (Toronto) to NIFS at Cannes, and now NIFS Paris, the platform has hosted networking events, panels, and strategic sessions often held in collaboration with foreign cultural and film institutions. In 2025, NIFS partnered with Trino Motion Pictures to launch the International Sales & Distribution Executives (ISDE) Program. The initiative was set to shape the future of international film and television sales and distribution by equipping young professionals with the skills and knowledge required to excel in this dynamic industry. A talent development and capacity-building initiative, ISDE offers a structured, three-month hybrid residency and mentorship program designed to provide participants with real-world insights, practical experience, and a strategic understanding of the global film and television market.

This recent partnership with NOW! aims to attract more distribution networks and international interest in Nigerian titles. Netflix and Prime have reduced their commissioning and licensing of Nollywood titles, the YouTube space is booming, Showmax has been discontinued, and local streaming services like KAVA and Circuits TV have had to compete with the dwindling Nigerian economy. Despite these, Nigerian filmmakers are still making films, and audiences are yearning for them. To serve the audience and sustain cash flow in the industry, Nigerian filmmakers, film executives, and industry stakeholders must explore alternative ways to distribute their films. This NIFS and NOW! Partnership is one way to distribute Nigerian films in Europe. 

The NollywoodWeek Film Festival, through its programming, has curated interest in Nollywood titles. With the NIFS structure and NollywoodWeek access, Nigerian filmmakers gain another opportunity not just to exhibit but distribute their films in Paris. This reduces the significant friction independent filmmakers face when entering the European market.

Supported by partners including TransPerfect, Canal Plus, the French Embassy in Nigeria, IFIND PICTURES, and CINEKITA. These partnerships increase the likelihood of French-Nigerian co-productions, utilizing French film grants and Nigerian creative talent. By partnering with a Paris-based festival and these technical platforms, it can encourage the subtitling and dubbing of Nigerian films, making them accessible to the Francophone market in Europe and Africa.