The S16 Film Festival concluded its fifth edition in Lagos with landmark announcements that signal a bold new chapter for the collective over the next five years. Founded by C.J. Obasi, Micheal Omonua, and Abba Makama—the creative minds behind acclaimed titles such as Juju Stories, Ojuju, The Lost Okoroshi, and Mami Wata, with upcoming projects including Obasi’s La Pyramide and Omonua’s Galatians—S16 has evolved into the kind of institution its founders once sought during their early careers while navigating Nigeria’s limited film infrastructure.
At the closing event, Obasi unveiled plans to launch a film lab, monthly screenings, and a dedicated distribution arm beginning in 2026, transforming what began as a filmmaker-centred festival into a multi-platform ecosystem designed to nurture Nigerian auteurs and position them globally. Among the initiatives is an international partnership with the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, sponsored by the Embassy of France, through which five filmmakers—Kagho Idhebor, Nneoma Ann Aligwe, Nosazemen Agbontaen, and Uzoamaka Power—will travel to France in 2026. Dika Ofoma’s Obi Is a Boy will also screen in competition at Clermont-Ferrand.
The festival is now expanding into long-term infrastructure for film culture and circulation. Monthly screenings will be introduced in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, while the forthcoming S16 Film Lab will provide early-career filmmakers with a dedicated space to develop new projects. The festival is also entering the distribution landscape through a partnership with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), ensuring nationwide access to films.
In another shift, affordable ticketing will be introduced for screenings and events, ending the tradition of free editions as a means of addressing unused reserved seats. Public submissions from filmmakers for the 2026 festival will open via FilmFreeway, with more details to follow.
Looking ahead, S16 plans to establish S16 Films, a production arm dedicated to nurturing a new generation of auteurs, and the S16 Centre, a facility that will house a film institute, film school, cinema space, café, shop, and library.
The festival also celebrated a major achievement as filmmaker Dika Ofoma won the inaugural AFP Critics Prize for his short film Obi Is a Boy. The award, created by the African Film Press (AFP) to deepen critical engagement with African cinema, was presented on December 5, 2025, and includes a certificate, a trophy, and a $500 cash prize.