Visit to Northern Nigeria’s Premier International Film Festival

Thanks to the 8th Kaduna International Film Festival KADIFF team for making the S24 Television Film Production Unit so welcome.

The 8th Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), held from 26 to 30 August 2025 in Kaduna, Nigeria, offered a substantive platform for film practitioners and cultural commentators to explore cinema’s role in social transformation.  The chosen theme for this year, “Film for Social Change”, underscores the festival’s commitment to storytelling that engages with pressing societal issues. 

I was present at the festival and spoke on the need for young filmmakers to frame their narratives from an African perspective, rather than relying on external representations.  In my view, when filmmakers engage locally relevant concerns such as identity, governance, and inequality, they contribute both to urgent public dialogue and to a more diverse global film culture.

Over 2,000 film submissions were received from more than 50 countries for KADIFF 2025. A nine-member jury selected 168 films from 15 countries.  Workshops, masterclasses, panel discussions, exhibitions and a skill acquisition programme complemented film screenings; these are essential for institution-building in the creative sector. 

Looking ahead, I anticipate that successive editions will continue to sharpen the intersection of film, policy and social change. Filmmakers have an opportunity, and I would argue a responsibility, to address issues often sidelined in mainstream narratives.

I hope my involvement in the panel provided some helpful insight … see you in 2026!