The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) closed its 14th edition in November 2025 with a star-studded Globe Awards ceremony that celebrated the best in African and diaspora cinema. This year’s edition, themed “Rhythms of the Continent: The AfroBeats Film Movement,” combined screenings, industry panels, and the new AFRIFF Film & Content Market (AFCM) with awards across features, shorts, documentaries, animation, and screenwriting.
MTN, Africa’s biggest telecom company, partnered with the festival to help local films reach a global audience. The event featured sessions on topics like film distribution, marketing strategies, and content development, while international collaborations allowed Nigerian filmmakers to connect with peers from France, Germany, South Africa, Brazil, and the United States.
Comedians Bovi and Venita took on hosting duties, bringing energy and entertainment to the stage while celebrating the continent’s storytelling talent and giving attendees an immersive showcase of Africa’s top films.
Top winners and highlights
To Adaego With Love (Nigeria) is a historical romantic drama set in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War during the 1970s. The film follows a Nigerian soldier and an Igbo teacher whose love emerges in a time of national healing. Through music and emotional storytelling, it explores how people rebuild their lives and relationships in the wake of conflict.
The Eyes of Ghana, directed by Oscar‑winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, focuses on 93‑year‑old Ghanaian cinematographer Chris Hesse, who preserved over 1,300 reels of film capturing Africa’s independence era and culture. The documentary highlights themes of memory, preservation, and the power of cinema in African history.
The Travails of Ajadi, created by Adeoye Adetunji, is a stop‑motion animation that stands out for its meticulously handcrafted models, sets, and textures. The win also came with a production grant, emphasizing how animation in Africa can thrive with ingenuity and craftsmanship rather than relying solely on high budgets.
The Day the Heart Died, directed by Russell Oru, is a Nigerian short film that addresses the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM) through the perspective of Nengi, a young girl caught between opposing parental beliefs. The film uses real‑time tension to raise awareness of one of the country’s most difficult taboos.
Finally, The Labyrinth, an outstanding student short by Toluwalope Okunade, impressed the festival jury with its storytelling and technical skill within the short‑format context.
The festival also recognized international entries: Majini (short) and Tukki: From Roots to Bayou (international documentary) were among the titles honored in global categories.
Majini follows Fari, a 13‑year‑old boy who is afraid of deep water, and his older brother Danford (17), who fish with their father to support the family. When their father falls ill, Fari must take his place on the boat despite his fear. As the brothers venture further out to sea, they become entangled in a tense and dangerous exploration of what it means to be a young man under pressure.
Tukki: From Roots to Bayou (international documentary)
Tukki: From Roots to Bayou follows Senegalese musician and composer Alune Wade as he journeys through West Africa (including Dakar and Saint‑Louis in Senegal, Lagos in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana), then on to New Orleans in the United States. The film explores the musical and cultural connections between jazz in West Africa and jazz in New Orleans, tracing roots, heritage, and shared rhythms.
AFRIFF 2025 leaned into business and international collaboration by launching the AFCM, designed to connect filmmakers, distributors, and investors and to accelerate co-productions and distribution deals for African content. The programming and awards mix underscored AFRIFF’s dual role as both a cultural showcase and an industry marketplace.
Winners were widely celebrated on social and trade channels, and the awards have already sparked conversations about new voices and stories emerging across the continent, from intimate, socially urgent shorts to ambitious feature dramas and archival documentaries. The prominence of titles like To Adaego With Love and The Eyes of Ghana points to a continuing hunger for films that combine local specificity with international reach.
