TINFF 2025: Celebrating Global Cinema and Nollywood’s Rising Stars

The 9th annual Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF) is set to take place from September 6th – 13, 2025, across different locations in Toronto and Brampton, Ontario in Canada—with screening schedules yet to be disclosed.

This week-long celebration of film, culture, and industry innovation promises to be an exciting event, featuring a diverse range of activities, including screenings, conferences, fashion, and a star-studded red carpet gala. It will be an avenue for filmmakers, creators and Industry leaders and other enthusiasts to experience the magic of global cinema, network with professionals and unearth new talent. Selected venues for the event include York Woods Library Theatre, Toronto, Brampton City Hall, and Pearson Convention Centre (Closing Gala), Brampton.

Films such as GEM directed by Justice Ornan Abadah, Preye directed by April Chidinma, Hidden Hand With A Last Card directed by Babatunde Lawal, and Night Shift directed by Dimeji Ogunranti have been selected for screening alongside several other films from different regions that are yet to be announced.

Although TINFF is inspired by Nollywood, the world’s second largest film industry by number, the festival welcomes a variety of narratives from Canada, Bollywood, Hollywood (the US) and other countries globally. Founded on October 1st, 2016, the multicultural film festival celebrates inclusion and diversity through film. TINFF is an approved Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (Canadian Screen Award) qualifying festival, and it is supported by organizations such as the City of Brampton, Ontario Creates, Canadian Heritage, and the Canada Media Fund.

Over the years, TINFF has entered into partnership with InkTip, a script registration and script consulting service, to offer winners of the screenplay awards a chance to promote their work to industry professionals. The festival offers distribution opportunities through its partnerships with outfits such as Silverbird Film Distribution, FilmOne Distribution, and Evritfilms Distribution UK.

With its rich history, the festival has specially acknowledged the excellence and contributions of digital content creators from Africa. Award recipients from 2024 included Adebowale Adedayo (Mr Macaroni), Nosa Afolabi (Lasisi Eleni), Juliet Ibrahim, and Geoff Browne.

TINFF plays a significant role in promoting Nollywood by offering a platform for Nollywood filmmakers to showcase their work globally, increasing their visibility and recognition in the international community. Its connection to other film festivals, such as the Prague Film Festival, further expands the reach of Nollywood films, positioning filmmakers from the country for potential collaborations and opportunities with industry icons.

In addition, TINFF provides room for cultural exchange between Canada where the festival takes place and Nigeria enhancing networking opportunities between filmmakers from both countries and giving rise to innovative narratives. Emerging filmmakers from Nigeria and other African counties can also gain useful up-to-date knowledge through training and mentorship programmes facilitated by the TINFF.