Ibadan International Film Festival Reaches Filmmakers Across 119 Countries in Fifth Edition

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The Ibadan International Film Festival has expanded its global footprint, with organisers reporting participation from filmmakers and creative professionals across 119 countries during the festival’s fifth edition. IIFF 5.0, held virtually from September 17 to 19, 2026, was organised around the theme “Reimagining the African Film Industry.” Over three days, the programme combined screenings, moderated discussions, technical conversations, professional-development sessions and awards, giving filmmakers from Nigeria and other countries a shared platform without requiring physical travel to one venue. A virtual format widened the festival’s reach The 119-country participation figure is significant because it shows how film festivals can use digital delivery to expand beyond the limits of a traditional physical event. A venue-based festival can create valuable face-to-face interaction, but capacity, travel costs, visa barriers and geography naturally limit who can attend. A virtual edition changes that equation. Directors, actors, writers, cinematographers, editors, students and audiences can participate from different regions while still accessing screenings and conversations. For an African festival trying to connect local filmmakers with a global industry, that wider accessibility can be a major advantage. Festival convener Usman Ogunlade said the platform was created around the belief that film can connect people, preserve culture and create opportunities. The fifth edition extended that mission by making cross-border exchange one of the central features of the event rather than a side activity. ‘Reimagining the African Film Industry’ went beyond screenings The festival’s theme gave the programme a practical industry focus. IIFF sessions covered film costume, makeup and special effects, artificial intelligence and filmmaking technology, opportunities for young filmmakers and film distribution. Those subjects reflect some of the most important pressures facing African screen industries. Filmmakers are working in a market where production tools are changing quickly, streaming has altered distribution, artificial intelligence is entering creative workflows and international audiences have greater access to African stories than at any earlier point. For emerging filmmakers, understanding how to make a strong film is no longer enough. They also need to know how projects travel, how rights are managed, how audiences are reached and how technology may reshape production. By including those discussions alongside screenings, the festival positioned itself as a professional-development platform as well as a showcase. Winners reflected a mix of Nigerian and international work The awards programme recognised films and performers across acting, directing, writing, cinematography, documentary, animation, short film and student categories. Korede Lawal won Best Actor – Male for On Our Skin , while Sidney Fahlsch received Best Actor – Female for November Fog . Johnson Ibeh won Best Supporting Actor – Male for On Our Skin , and Tian Xin received Best Supporting Actor – Female for Jade Buddha Amulet . Amur Amerkhanov won Best Director for The Letter , while Somto Ihezue and Innocent Chizaram Ilo received Best Screenplay for On Our Skin . Mahboob Shokrzadeh was named Best Cinematographer for Holy Water . The international feature prize went to Russia’s The Letter , while What Emma Wants , directed by Njoku Samuel Kehinde, won Best Feature Film – Nigeria. Saheed Aderinto’s The Women of Fuji won Best Documentary, Mexico’s Papá took Best Animation and Donald Tombia’s ÒDÈ! There Is No Bus Stop on This Trip won Best Short Film. Student-film categories also formed part of the programme, with Sensei Ayodeji Sanni’s Echoes from the Past receiving Best Student Film – International and Abiodun Udom’s On Our Skin taking Best Student Film – Nigeria. Ibadan strengthens its place in Nigeria’s creative geography The festival’s growth also matters for Ibadan itself. Lagos remains Nigeria’s largest commercial entertainment centre, but a healthy film ecosystem benefits from multiple creative hubs with their own festivals, training networks, cinemas, production communities and cultural institutions. Ibadan already has deep ties to Nigerian literature, broadcasting, theatre and academia. Building an internationally connected film festival adds another layer to that cultural history and creates a recurring point where filmmakers can associate the city with screen culture. Even though the 2026 edition was virtual, the festival’s identity remains tied to Ibadan. That combination—local identity with global participation—can be particularly useful for African festivals trying to develop a recognisable brand without limiting themselves to the size of a local physical audience. Collaboration may be the festival’s biggest long-term value Fẹmi Alagbala, the festival’s head of media, described IIFF 5.0 as an edition focused on conversations, knowledge sharing and collaboration. That emphasis points to the part of film festivals that is often harder to measure than ticket sales or awards. A screening can introduce an audience to a film, but a connection between a writer, producer, director or distributor can shape projects that do not yet exist. The value of a 119-country network may therefore become clearer over time through co-productions, festival invitations, mentorship, financing conversations and distribution relationships formed through the event. For African filmmakers, those connections are especially important as the continent’s screen industries seek greater control over how their stories are financed, produced and distributed internationally. The fifth Ibadan International Film Festival demonstrates one route forward: use technology to widen access, keep African filmmaking at the centre of the conversation and build relationships that extend beyond the three days of the programme itself. With five editions completed, the festival now has a stronger foundation on which to grow. The challenge for future editions will be converting expanding participation into deeper industry outcomes while maintaining the local identity that gives the festival its name and cultural grounding.