Nigeria has been named Country of Focus at the eighth edition of the Luanda International Film Festival (FIC Luanda), as the Angolan festival prepares to return after an 11-year hiatus.
The festival will run from October 28 to November 2 and will feature a Nigerian Panorama curated by Surreal16 Collective, bringing 10 Nigerian films to audiences in Angola.
S16 co-founder and director Abba T. Makama, who will also serve as a special guest at the festival, has teased titles including Mami Wata, Eyimofe, About Sarah and Juju Stories. Kewa Oni’s The Odds is also set to have its world premiere at the festival.
Although the Nigerian Panorama will be non-competitive, three of the 10 Nigerian films will be included in the festival’s official competition. The full Nigerian selection is yet to be announced.
The festival will also host LUALab, a film project development lab designed to provide mentoring and support for emerging projects. Additional programming includes parallel showcases, special screenings, roundtable discussions, creative workshops, and training and professional development initiatives.
The Angolan National Competition has so far received 41 submissions, according to the Associação Nacional das Indústrias Culturais e Criativas (ANICC). The entries include 25 short fiction films, nine feature fiction films and seven documentaries.
The 2026 edition is expected to screen more than 100 films from over 18 countries across three main venues and five parallel strands. The screenings will be open to the public.
