ABUJA, October 21, 2026: A documentary about former Nigerian head of state Murtala Muhammed and a panel examining artificial intelligence in filmmaking featured on the second day of the 23rd Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF) at Silverbird Cinemas.
The panel, held in Hall 2 from 12:18 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., continued discussions around this year’s theme, “Frames Without Borders: AI, Ethics, and the Future of Filmmaking.”
At Tuesday’s opening ceremony, festival director Temitope Duker encouraged Nigerian filmmakers to embrace artificial intelligence as a creative tool for building digital sets, reducing production costs and expanding their storytelling capabilities.
Among the films screened was With Immediate Effect: The Enduring Legacy of Gen. Murtala Muhammed, a 47-minute documentary directed by Efe Omorogbe. The film brings contemporary creatives together to tell the story of Muhammed, who was assassinated during an unsuccessful military coup attempt in 1976.
The documentary’s promotional poster credits musicians and creatives Havfy, Cobham Asuquo, Qing Madi and Magnito.
Another documentary featured in the program was VARCE Girl, a 13-minute short following girls pursuing education and learning new skills.
Nigerian Films Fill Hall 1
All 11 titles screened in Hall 1 on Wednesday were Nigerian productions, reflecting the festival’s emphasis on local filmmaking this year.
The selection included NINI, a 125-minute feature starring Chimezie Imo; Nollywood (The Untold Story), a 98-minute documentary; and Èlédà Àyànmọ̀, a 21-minute experimental short exploring Igbo and Yoruba cultures.
Duker previously said the organizers deliberately prioritized Nigerian productions for this year’s program. According to her, 86 films were selected from hundreds of submissions.
Hall 2, meanwhile, featured international productions, including the Chinese feature G for Gap, the Mexican short Bad Death, and the Russian feature Sukho Island.
The festival’s program brings Nigerian and international filmmakers together through screenings and industry discussions, with artificial intelligence and its implications for filmmaking among the central topics of this year’s edition.
Organizers have announced an awards night for Sunday, October 25, at the Banquet Hall, National Merit House, Maitama, Abuja.
