The 21st edition of the Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF), a prestigious annual event organised by renowned filmmaker Fidelis Duker, has announced its official nominees.

With categories spanning across Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Feature Film, and more, this year’s selection showcases a diverse range of films from around the world, reflecting the festival’s commitment to celebrating global talent in cinema.

The event, which has long served as a platform for both emerging and established filmmakers, will see nominees from Nigeria, USA, Italy, France, and other countries compete for top honours.

Best Documentary (Feature)

In the Best Documentary (Feature) category, seven powerful films stand out, offering rich cultural and historical narratives. Notable nominees include Let Wisdom of Ancient Civilizations Shine Through the Future from China and Ebrohimie Road: A Museum of Memory from Nigeria. Other strong contenders in this category are The Last Island (Italy), Sofia Will Return (Spain), and The Mirror Parajanov (France). Nigeria also makes a second appearance in this category with DELA – The Making of El Anatsui, a documentary exploring the work of renowned artist El Anatsui. The USA’s Accidental Spy rounds off the list.

Best Documentary (Short)

The Best Documentary (Short) category highlights shorter but equally compelling narratives. Films like Lucy – A Pioneer Destiny from Italy and Women of Bissau from Spain bring international perspectives to the lineup, while Nigerian entry No Food the Lazy Man explores local social issues. Other notable nominees include Our Monique (Cameroon), Chained Silence Speaks Chapter 1 (USA), You Hide Me (Ghana), and End of Trip Sahara (Spain).

Best Animation

Animation continues to make waves globally, and the Best Animation category features a diverse group of nominees. Films such as Your Democracy (USA) and Vainglorious (USA) offer American perspectives, while Dawn from Cameroon and Joule from Australia bring fresh, international viewpoints. France’s The Forest of Honest Bees and the USA’s Turkey Pinky Pants are also nominated, reflecting a blend of humour, creativity, and political commentary.

Best Experimental

The Best Experimental category recognises films that push the boundaries of traditional cinema. Entries like Pre-Existing Freedom (USA) and Tage im Winter (Germany) showcase avant-garde storytelling techniques. African films also feature prominently, with Evil Spirit, Get Out! (Nigeria) and The Prophesy (Senegal) bringing unique cultural elements to the fore. Operation Wakaliga – Fate and Blood (Uganda/Israel) and Ya Hanouni (France) round out this category.

Best Short Screenplay

In the Best Short Screenplay category, Nigerian entries like Oke Okuta and 12 Hour are set to compete against international contenders such as Jujuman (UK) and Red is Rose (Ghana). Other notable entries include The Golden Boy (UK) and Fading Echo (Nigeria), reflecting a strong competition of creative writing talent.

Best Feature Screenplay

The Best Feature Screenplay category is rich with strong storytelling from around the world. Jagun Jagun (Nigeria), a popular Nigerian epic, and Kismet (Cameroon) are expected to draw significant attention. Other entries like Turns (Nigeria), Leo’s Party (Brazil), and My Love from Another Land (Uganda/Nigeria) add to the diversity of voices and themes in this category.

Best Feature Film (Foreign)

The Best Feature Film (Foreign) category honours the finest international productions. This year’s nominees include The Umesh Chronicles (India) and End of the River (Bulgaria), showcasing the global appeal of film. Entries like Four Quarters (Russian Federation) and Widows Gift (Ghana) also made the cut, with Dead Men’s Wish (Cameroon) and 404.1 (Morocco) offering compelling narratives from Africa.

Best Feature: Indigenous

In the Best Feature: Indigenous category, Nigerian films dominate the field. Kaka by Prince Aboki Daniel and Jagun Jagun by Adebayo Tijanni are top contenders. Other notable entries include Adunni Ogidan’birin (Yemi Amodu), Mending (Robert Peters), and Over the Bridge (Tolulope Ajayi). The category highlights the strength of Nigeria’s indigenous filmmaking industry.

Best Short Film: Nigeria

The Best Short Film: Nigeria category features seven powerful short films, including Nkem by Ayodele Ogundipe and Cry Me Awake by Smart Edikan. Other notable nominees include Oke Okuta by Adeola Osunkojo and Betrayal of the Star by Esther Effiong.

Best Short Film: Foreign

For Best Short Film: Foreign, films like We Need to Talk About Consent (Jamaica) and What We Don’t Say (Spain) stand out. The UK’s Golden Boy and Canada’s Unexpected End will also be competing in this category, which showcases international perspectives on short-form storytelling.

Best Film in Editing

In the Best Film in Editing category, the Russian film Four Quarters faces stiff competition from African and European entries like Peripheric Love (Switzerland) and Jagun Jagun (Nigeria). Lucy – A Pioneer Destiny (Italy) also joins the race, further cementing the international flavour of this year’s festival.

Best Student Film

The Best Student Film category recognises emerging talent, with films like The Prophesy (Senegal) and The Feelings I Wear (NIG/USA) offering fresh perspectives from student filmmakers.

Outstanding Male and Female Actors

This year, Outstanding Male Actor nominees include Dave Hayllar for Streets of Deceit (UK), Ozy Agu for Over the Bridge (Nigeria), and Jidekene Achufusi for Unknown Pandemic (Nigeria). Meanwhile, the Outstanding Female Actress category sees nominations for Kara Wang (From Embers, USA), Kehinde Bankole (Unknown Pandemic, Nigeria), and Omowunmi Dada (The Thorns, Nigeria).

Outstanding Film Directing

In the Outstanding in Film Directing category, Luc Walpoth (Peripheric Love, Switzerland) and Tope Adebayo/Adebayo Tijanni (Jagun Jagun, Nigeria) lead the pack. Other nominees include Tolu Ajayi (Over the Bridge, Nigeria) and Evgenya Tirdatova (Four Quarters, Russian Federation).

Outstanding Music Score

The Outstanding Music Score category features music from films like Kismet (Cameroon) and Widows Gift (Ghana). Other strong contenders include Tender Hedges (Nigeria) and Runaway Spanner (Nigeria), showcasing the power of music in film.

Golden Jury Film & Audience Choice Award

The prestigious Golden Jury Film award will feature nominees such as End of Trip Sahara (Spain), 404.1 (Morocco), and Jagun Jagun (Nigeria), while the AIFF Audience Choice Award will be announced during the festival.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.