Now in its 14th edition, Africa’s leading film festival, AFRIFF, is underway in Lagos, spotlighting the growing connection between film and Afrobeats.
AFRIFF 2025 Opens in Lagos, Highlights Afrobeats’ Influence on Film
The 14th Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is currently underway in Lagos, bringing together filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals under the theme “Rhythms of the Continent: The Afrobeats Film Movement.”
Running from November 2–8 across venues including Landmark Centre, Twin Waters, Palms Lekki, and AFRIFF Hall, the festival continues its tradition of celebrating African storytelling through film.
This year’s lineup features a range of fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental works. The festival opened with Asurf Oluseyi’s 3 Cold Dishes and includes Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman, Kayode Kasum’s Fractured and The Good Gift, Nwamaka Chikezie’s To Adaego With Love, Yibo Koko’s Three Tramps and the Law, Obi Emelonye’s Safari, Chee Keong Cheung’s Son of the Soil, Louis Ejiofor’s The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Afrobeats, Shedrack Salami’s Beyond Olympic Glory, Myde Glover’s Irin Ajo, and Allison Emmanuel’s The Boy Who Gave, among others.
Beyond screenings, AFRIFF 2025 continues to serve as a platform for industry engagement through panels and masterclasses featuring producers, directors, distributors, writers, and policymakers. Topics this year include financing, co-production, and emerging opportunities for African storytellers.
One of the defining focuses of this year’s edition is the intersection between film and Afrobeats. Panel conversations featuring Davido, Asa Asika, Dammy Twitch, and Blessing Uzzi explored how the sound, rhythm, and visual identity of Afrobeats are influencing a new generation of filmmakers.
The festival also introduced the AFRIFF Film & Content Market (AFCM) — Nigeria’s first dedicated film marketplace aimed at creating a structured space for networking, deal-making, and collaboration across the African creative economy.
The opening ceremony, attended by the Honourable Minister of Art, Culture and Tourism, Hannatu Musa Musawa, AFRIFF founder Chioma Ude, and other industry figures, highlighted the growing institutional support for the continent’s screen sector.
As the festival continues through the week, AFRIFF remains a key platform where film, culture, and commerce converge .