Nigerian filmmaker Dika Ofoma has been selected for La Fabrique Cinéma at the Cannes Film Festival with his debut feature Till The Morning Comes, marking the only Nigerian project in the 2026 lineup.
The programme, created by the Institut français in partnership with France Médias Monde and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, supports ten debut or sophomore feature projects from emerging regions each year. Selected filmmakers receive mentorship and access to global industry stakeholders during the Marché du Film in May.
Ofoma’s project joins two other African films in the lineup: Lydia Matata’s Strong Wind from Kenya and Kenza Tazi’s Laissées-pour-compte from Morocco.
Produced by Blessing Uzzi under Bluhouse Studios, Till The Morning Comes blends Igbo cosmology with themes of reincarnation, tradition, and forbidden love. Shot in Enugu and Lagos, the film follows two lovers from a pre-colonial past who are reincarnated in present-day Enugu as Nnanna, a Nigerian-Italian photographer, and Achebe, a Catholic priest in training. Their relationship forces Achebe to confront the tension between his faith and a love considered taboo in Nigeria, where same-sex relationships remain criminalised.
Ofoma describes the film as a personal exploration of love and identity within a restrictive social context. Drawing from Igbo beliefs in reincarnation, the story reflects on how choices made in past lives shape present realities.
“Through this story, I hope to reflect on love and open a conversation around it. If the film carries an intention, it is simple: that love, in whatever form it appears, deserves the chance to exist and thrive,” he said.
Ofoma, a 2026 Berlinale Talent, has already earned recognition for the project, including three awards at the 2025 Locarno Open Doors programme.