The Ibadan Indie Film Awards (IFA) is back, and for its 2025 edition, it’s planting its feet firmly where its heart is. Under the resonant theme IFA IS HOME, the festival is championing Ibadan not just as a location, but as a vital creative sanctuary for independent filmmakers.
This year’s focus is a deliberate homecoming. IFA aims to spotlight Ibadan as a city of belonging—a place where emerging storytellers can find their community, access resources, and gain recognition on their own terms.
“This year, we believe the moment has come to deepen that connection and focus intentionally on the filmmakers of Ìbàdàn,” says IFA Director Moses Ipadeola. “It’s a place where local stories and voices are highlighted and celebrated.”
Founder ‘Chukwu Martin adds, “We want to show off filmmakers creating from Ìbàdàn and those who hold the city dear, as a home for creativity and revitalization.”
Since its launch in 2022, IFA has become a crucial launchpad for Nigerian indie talent, fostering local excellence and building bridges for international collaboration. Building on three successful years, the 2025 program will be its most ambitious yet, featuring workshops, screenings, and the launch of the IFA Journal (2022–2024)—a commemorative publication documenting the award’s first three years and a decade of Ibadan’s rich, independent film culture.
In line with its 2025 theme, IFA IS HOME, the Ibadan Indie Film Awards is inviting film journalists, critics, and writers to contribute to a special publication — the IFA Journal (2022–2024). This commemorative journal will chronicle not only the festival’s first three years but also a decade of Ibadan’s thriving independent film movement.
IFA is calling for essays, reviews, interviews, and reflective pieces that explore independent filmmaking in Ibadan and across Nigeria. Contributors are encouraged to submit works that capture the spirit of indie cinema — stories of creativity, resilience, experimentation, and community.
Interested contributors are encouraged to send their entries by October 20, 2025, to [email protected].
Selected pieces will be published in the IFA Journal and preserved as part of the official IFA archive, ensuring that the voices shaping Nigeria’s indie film landscape are documented for generations to come.
With this open call, IFA extends its mission beyond the screen — creating space for critical thought, film writing, and cultural documentation. The festival continues to celebrate those who not only make films but also write, analyze, and amplify them, strengthening the creative ecosystem that makes Ibadan truly home for storytellers.
The Ibadan Indie Film Awards 2025 will hold this November at the New Culture Studio, Oremeji, Ibadan.
