Entertainment

AFRIK International Film Festival Set to Empower African Cinema

Published

10 months ago

November 25, 2025

AFRIK International Film Festival launches in Lagos, with plans for 2026 debut in Port Harcourt to showcase and empower African filmmakers and stories

Stakeholders of the AFRIK International Film Festival (AIIF) officially launched the event in Lagos on Friday, announcing that its inaugural edition will take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, in 2026.

Also read: Afro-Canadians gear up for the second edition of Pan-Afrikan drum festival in Toronto

Positioned as an annual celebration of African cinema, AIIF aims to showcase the continent’s creative potential to a global audience while establishing a platform for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and enthusiasts to connect, collaborate, and celebrate authentic African narratives. Organisers envision the festival as a cultural landmark that amplifies African voices worldwide.

Speaking at the press conference, Program Coordinator Toka McBaror, a renowned filmmaker and cinematographer, emphasised the festival’s mission to empower Africans to tell their own stories.

He highlighted AIIF’s focus on practical impact and capacity-building through workshops and training sessions, prioritising education and skill development over glamour.

“No one can describe my mother’s kitchen better than I. If someone else tells our story, they won’t tell it like we did because they weren’t there. AIIF is to celebrate the African story, the African filmmaker, and to pave the way for emerging creatives,” McBaror said.

The festival will employ a “close submission” process, focusing on quality over quantity to ensure a meaningful and well-curated screening experience.

“It is better to take 10 films and screen them well than take 50 and have issues,” he explained, stressing the importance of high-quality presentation for both filmmakers and audiences.

McBaror noted that the debut edition will be intentionally small but impactful, allowing the festival to establish a strong foundation before expanding across Africa. “We’re starting from Nigeria, then it becomes an African event,” he said.

Isaac Nwankpa, CEO of AIIF, confirmed his personal financial backing for the festival, highlighting its potential to attract further investment and stimulate the African film economy.

Also read: Osun First Lady, Dabiri-Erewa, others to attend Pan-Afrika Drum Festival

The organisers stressed that AIIF is designed to provide both a platform for cultural expression and a practical avenue for growth, learning, and collaboration within the African creative sector.

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

5 hours ago

October 5, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Halima Adaba,

It was a featubal if the people. It was for the anciebt town of Ile Ife, which the Yoruba race refards as the Source.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

And ut was a festivsl for the King, Arole Oduduwa, Oonirisa, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

And so between September 24 and 28th 2026, the annual featuval dazzjed in all its white glory.

Tge Monarch paid the traditional ancestral homage and offered propitiation as part of the sacred rites of the Olojo Festival.
It was a powerful expression of Yoruba heritage, spirituality, and enduring tradition.

Call it a collection of beautiful moments, faces, colours and cultural expressions.

Every frame tells a story.

Every face carries the energy.

Every moment keeps the heritage alive.

Undoubtedly one of the most sacred cultural celebrations in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. It marked a day associated with creation, thanksgiving, ancestral heritage, and the sacred appearance of the Ooni of Ife wearing the revered Aàrẹ crown.

There were also the devotees of the famed god of thunder – Sàngó who were hardly conspicuous at the festival.

Many other traditional groups came out with candor, showing a powerful expression of Yoruba cultural identity, spiritual devotion, and respect for the ancient traditions of Ilé-Ifẹ̀.

Devotees of Sàngó bekieved the ‘appearance’ of the god of thunder on Seotember 26th could be understood as a symbolic meeting of ancestral heritage, spiritual devotion, and the celebration of creation.

It was a moment when the sounds of drums, chants, and traditional praise poetry brought the history of the Yoruba people to life.

Although Olojo is closely associated with Ogun, the god of iron, and the sacred traditions of Ile-Ife, the presence of Sàngó devotees reflected the rich diversity of Yoruba spiritual heritage.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

As a participant enthused at the festival, “To witness Sàngó Olúkòso emerge on Olojo Festival day is to witness a living expression of history, identity, and ancestral pride.”