AAIFF Africa 2026 has unveiled its official selection, bringing together 19 films from 14 countries for three days of independent African cinema in Kigali, Rwanda, from October 15 to 17, 2026.
The All African Independent Film Festival (AAIFF Africa) is preparing to welcome filmmakers, industry professionals and audiences for its 2026 edition at the Centre Culturel Francophone Kigali.
This year’s selection brings together 19 films competing across seven categories for 13 awards, reflecting the diversity of independent filmmaking across Africa and beyond.
19 Films, 14 Countries and Diverse Cinematic Voices
The 2026 selection brings together filmmakers from different parts of the African continent, with films from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The selection also includes productions connected to the United Kingdom, the United States and the Faroe Islands, giving the festival a broader international dimension.
From dramatic features and short films to documentaries, experimental works, music videos and student films, AAIFF Africa 2026 offers a wide range of formats and approaches to storytelling.
Dramatic Features
Two feature films have been selected in the Dramatic Features category:
The Creek — Nigeria
Director: Toka Mcbaror
Adanne – Mother’s Daughter — United Kingdom
Director: Orobosa Ikponmwen
Five Dramatic Shorts in Competition
The Dramatic Short category features five films:
Alone Against All — Senegal — Mazigna Barros
At Sea, Without Support — Senegal — Khalifa Ba
Nneoma — Nigeria — Stella Damasus
Okola — Nigeria — Paul Oluseyi Lasisi
Silent Grief — South Africa — Loyiso Paul Pududu
The category brings together filmmakers from different backgrounds, with Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa represented in the competition.
Documentaries Bring African Stories to the Screen
Documentary filmmaking also occupies an important place in this year’s selection.
Four films have been selected:
Barclay de Spiderman — Liberia / Faroe Islands — Rakul Ró Steintórsdóttir
Grassroots to Greatness — Malawi — Dirk Zekveld
Now We Know — Uganda — Maurice Kirya
Kikuyu Land — Kenya — Andrew H. Brown & Bea Wangondu
These works add another dimension to the selection, bringing real-life stories and perspectives into the competition.
Experimental Cinema Takes the Spotlight
AAIFF Africa is also giving space to filmmakers exploring different approaches to cinematic expression.
Two films are competing in the Experimental Films category:
HÀL — Tunisia
Director: Omar Garby
Basobi: They Will Come Back, Even If They Are Finished — Democratic Republic of Congo
Director: Botembe Moseka Maïté
Music Videos and Student Films Also Represented
The selection extends beyond traditional film formats.
In the Music Videos category, the festival has selected:
Dance My Pain Away — Ghana — Mr. Eye for Boy Nephron
One Chance Love — United States — Abimbola (Joe) Adetona
The festival is also opening its competition to emerging filmmakers through the Student Films category:
With the Wind — Morocco — Ines Lehaire
The City of God Beneath The River — Ghana — Edmund Tetteh Agorhom
Echoes from the Past — United Kingdom — Sensei Ayodeji Sanni CBK
Say Yes — Nigeria — Temilade “St. Taj” Agboola
A Selection Reflecting the Diversity of Independent African Cinema
Beyond the numbers, the 2026 selection highlights the variety of voices working within African independent filmmaking today.
Different countries, generations, formats and creative approaches will come together in Kigali, offering audiences an opportunity to discover filmmakers working outside the traditional mainstream circuits.
For emerging filmmakers in particular, festivals such as AAIFF Africa can provide an important space to have their work seen, discussed and connected with new audiences.
Kigali Awaits AAIFF Africa 2026
The official selection is now announced. The next chapter will unfold in Kigali, where the selected filmmakers will meet audiences and compete for 13 awards during three days dedicated to independent African cinema.
AAIFF Africa 2026 takes place from October 15 to 17, 2026, at the Centre Culturel Francophone Kigali in Rwanda.
CinéAfriqueMedia, official media partner of AAIFF Africa 2026, will follow the festival and bring its audience closer to the films, filmmakers and highlights of this edition.
The countdown to Kigali has begun.