The fifth edition of the S16 Film Festival has concluded at the Alliance Française in Lagos, with Obi is a Boy by Dika Ofoma winning the inaugural African Film Press (AFP) Critics Award for Best Film. The jury praised the film “for its observational realism, its controlled performances, and its clear attention to everyday detail in a young man’s decision to live on his own terms under family pressure and societal stigma.” Ofoma received a certificate of honour, a trophy, and $500,000.
Other awards included the Audience Award, which went to My Jebba Story by Kagho Idhebor, marking his second win at the festival, and the Rising Star Award, presented to S.A.D. Alaka.
The festival organizers also announced that four alumni, including Ofoma, Idhebor, and Nneoha Ann Aligwe, will attend the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France. Ofoma’s film will have its world premiere in competition, while the others will pitch new projects.
Held from December 1–5, 2025, the S16 Film Festival continues to spotlight unconventional Nigerian cinema. This year’s film lineup featured titles such as Journey of Singleness by Barnabas Ayo-Ilekhaize, Mother by Olamide Adio and Victor Daniel, Siraam by Uzoamaka Power, My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies Jr., and Traces of the Sun by Rete Poki. The festival opened with Cotton Queen by Sudanese director Suzannah Mirghani and closed with Memory of Princess Mumbi by Damien Hauser.
