Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ This year’s Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF) has once more positioned Northern Nigeria at the forefront of global cinematic dialogue and identified cinema as an essential driver of societal transformation.
At the 8th festival, in Kaduna, film producers and industry players highlighted the role of cinema in value creation, value shift, and inciting timely national discourse. Under the theme “Film for Social Change,” participants emphasised that film narratives are one of the greatest resources for social and cultural advancement.
Festival Executive Director Audu Kashim Israel informed us that cinema provides a platform for advocacy, empathy, and collective action. “Among the most effective tools for telling stories and for being an advocate are films, which have the power to inspire change,” he explained as this year’s theme is discussed.
The 2025 edition had over 2,000 submissions from over 50 countries, and 168 films were selected for screening by a panel of nine judges. Uganda swept the ground for the third time at KADIFF with a number of nominations, aside from submissions from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Russia, Finland, France, the USA, India, and Tunisia. “The steady increase of Ugandan submissions into the Kaduna Film Festival means that the Kaduna Film Festival is now an established platform across Africa,” Audu stated.
Apart from film screenings, the festival had a vibrant events calendar that comprised masterclasses, workshops, panel sessions, cultural displays, tourism displays, and, for the very first time, a skills acquisition programme aimed at empowering fledgling creatives with the necessary tools of practice.
For directors like Abuja-based Gloria Ugolee-Ehiosun, the subject of social change is both urgent and timely. “I always encourage my students to make films with awareness that creates positive change. That’s why I am glad to be part of the festival this year,” she said.
Veteran Nollywood actress Chinyere Nwabueze concurred, emphasising the strength of film to turn around negative perceptions. “There are a lot of issues our country and immediate surroundings are grappling with, and film can help reimagine some of the narratives impacting us socially,” she noted.
International voices also entered the chorus. British director and journalist John Coster testified it was critical for young African filmmakers to reclaim storytelling from foreign voices. “Young filmmakers need to stand up now and tell stories about Africa from an African perspective, rather than allowing others to tell their stories,” he argued.
Founded in 2018, KADIFF remains the Northern Nigeria region’s inaugural international film festival, steadily becoming a continental hub for cultural discussion, creative exchange, and social transformation via cinema.
