The festival says 85 per cent of its selected feature films are directed by, produced by or centred on women.
The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has unveiled the programme for its 15th edition, which runs in Lagos from November 1 to 7 under the theme "Frames of the Future". The announcement came at a press conference at Mikano International headquarters in Victoria Island, attended by diplomats, government officials, corporate sponsors and film industry stakeholders.
The opening film is Lady, an African neo-noir set in Lagos about a young taxi driver tasked with transporting a group of sex workers along their nightly routes. One of the group is a friend from her childhood, whom she has gone years without seeing. The screening is the film's first official festival outing on the African continent, following stops at Sundance, where it won the Special Jury Award for Acting Ensemble, and at Berlinale and the BFI London Film Festival.
The closing film, It's the Blackness, is the feature directorial debut of veteran actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim. The black comedy-drama, which has romantic elements, follows two close friends through personal ambition, family pressures and immigration challenges. Producer Dapo Oshiyemi is behind the film.
The festival says 85 per cent of its selected feature films are directed by, produced by or centred on women. Festival founder Chioma Ude said that representation emerged during the selection process itself, and she read it as a sign of where the industry is heading.
Ude also took on fears that artificial intelligence will cost filmmakers their jobs. She argued the technology should be seen as a tool for creative development rather than simply a threat to jobs:
"AI is not going to take anyone's job, but rather the person who knows how to use AI will replace those who don't."
Working alongside TikTok, AFRIFF will stage a practical session on November 6, the AI Creative Film and Content Creation Lab, covering how AI can be used to make content, prepare productions and produce micro-dramas. The festival is also partnering with Pulse Nigeria on the Pulse Rising Filmmaker Award, a new category meant to recognise and financially support filmmakers at the early stages of their careers.
The Africa Film & Content Market (AFCM) runs from November 2 to 5, connecting filmmakers with investors, buyers and distributors. This year AFRIFF has also introduced paid ticketing for screenings and select events.
United States Consul General Brandon Hudspeth said the U.S. Mission will showcase 10 American feature films and host masterclasses featuring Oscar-nominated producer Alex Madigan in November and gaming executive Mike Fischer in December. Angel Kristi Williams and another US film envoy were also named by him. They are to run week-long workshops for up-and-coming Nigerian filmmakers covering direction and cinematography. "Our goal is to give Nigeria creatives the tools and connections to shape their own future and do business with American platforms, studios and investors," Hudspeth added.
Laurent Favier, Consul General of France in Lagos, framed the industry's problems as a shared one. "No studio, platform, or artist can meet these new industry challenges alone," he said, adding that the partnership focuses on new international co-productions in fiction, animation and documentaries. Four French-Nigerian feature-film co-productions were in development, according to the remarks.
The festival has also inked three-year framework deals with South Africa and Brazil covering multiple projects, co-productions and residencies. Oman is dispatching a delegation of 10 people carrying scripts, looking for Nigerian co-production partners.
Dr Shaibu Husseini, Director-General of the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, described the festival's 15 years as more than an annual cultural gathering. "AFRIFF has not merely been a date on the cultural calendar, but a monument to African storytelling and a catalyst for economic growth in the creative sector," he said.
The festival closes with the AFRIFF Globe Awards on its final night, November 7.
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