Lagos is living the final hours of its big week of cinema. The 15th edition of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), dubbed the Crystal Edition, closes on Saturday with the Globe Awards ceremony and a closing party. Founded in 2010 by Chioma Ude, the festival has been held in Filmhouse cinemas on Victoria Island and in Lekki, around a forward-looking theme: “Frames of the Future: Africa’s Creative Intelligence”, which explores the new business models, formats and trends shaping African and global film.
The official selection brings together 135 films from Africa and around the world, including 23 features, spanning fiction, documentaries and shorts. The most talked-about figure concerns women: 55% of the selected features are directed or produced by women or centre on them. The tone was set from opening night with Lady, the debut feature of Nigerian filmmaker Olive Nwosu. This Lagos neo-noir follows a young female taxi driver hired to transport a group of sex workers on their nightly rounds.
The programme blended local talent with major international names. Audiences could discover Hakeem Kae-Kazim’s It’s the Blackness alongside European titles such as Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor and Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, presented through partnerships with diplomatic missions. Short films were not forgotten, notably Kaelo Iyizoba’s The Spectacular Death of Prisca, the surreal quest of a mother trying to rescue her daughter on her wedding day, and A Tray of Locust Beans, produced by veteran actress Joke Silva’s company.
Beyond the screens, AFRIFF asserted its economic ambitions. The second edition of the Africa Film & Content Market ran for four days at Twinwaters in Lekki, bringing together producers, financiers, distributors and platforms. The festival also announced new international co-production agreements and initiatives on artificial intelligence in filmmaking, while offering free masterclasses. The stated goal is clear: films should be judged on their artistic quality, but also on their ability to travel beyond borders.
The Globe Awards will crown the week. Over the years, the awards have expanded considerably, from five prizes in the early editions to eighteen categories last year, covering directing, acting, screenwriting and student talent. The previous edition honoured To Adaego With Love by Nigerian filmmaker Nwamaka Chikezie, which won Best Feature Film and Best Screenplay. It remains to be seen which film will follow in its footsteps, at a festival that has become one of the leading showcases for Nollywood and, more broadly, for the continent’s screen industries.