616 Films To Feature At Kano Indigenous Languages Of Africa Film Festival

No fewer than 616 films from 77 countries have been submitted for participation in the 2025 Kano Indigenous Languages of Africa Film Market and Festival (KILAF), scheduled to hold from November 6 to 8, 2025, in Kano.

The Managing Director of Moving Image Limited and Founder/CEO of KILAF, Abdulkareem Mohammed, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Kano, on Sunday.

Mohammed said the entries cut across several genres, including short films, student projects, feature films, documentaries, and animations reflecting Africa’s growing creative diversity.

He revealed that 85 films from 30 countries made it to the official KILAF 2025 Film Selection List, with Egypt leading the list with 17 films, followed by Nigeria (14), Morocco (8), and Tunisia (4).

“There are 14 nations in contention for awards. Some of the films were co-produced with the UK, USA, Israel, and Italy,” Mohammed said. “It is from this list that a seven-member jury will select winners for recognition and awards on November 8.”

According to him, there will be 18 award categories covering 87 nominations, adding that all nominated filmmakers are already considered winners for their outstanding efforts and creativity.

The 2025 festival, themed “Crossing Storytelling Boundaries: Strategies for Multilingual Success in African Filmmaking,” aims to celebrate Africa’s linguistic diversity and promote storytelling across cultural and language divides.

Mohammed also announced that KILAF will, in collaboration with Bayero University’s Faculty of Communication, host its annual international conference focused on academic research in African filmmaking.

“We publish selected papers presented at each conference, contributing to the body of knowledge in film and communication studies,” he said, while unveiling last year’s publication.

In addition, the festival will feature the 2nd Entrepreneurship Summit for Women in Media Business, scheduled for November 8 at the Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano.

The program, targeting 100 women beneficiaries, is designed to encourage female participation and entrepreneurship in the media ecosystem. It will draw participants from NAWOJ, NCWS, Stand Up for Women’s Rights, and Women in Media networks.

“We are committed to empowering women and promoting inclusivity in the African creative industry,” Mohammed added.