• Winners Emerge In Ecobank-iREP Smartphone Filmmaking Workshop
• Kelani Tasks African Creatives On Passion

Winners have emerged in the Ecobank iREP smartphone filmmaking workshop. The initiative was designed to equip young creatives with practical skills in documentary storytelling using mobile devices, while telling the authentic African stories. Three outstanding entries were recognised from a shortlist of 10 films.

The star prize of ₦1 million was awarded to Lady Hephzibah and Dera Chuks for their film titled, Long Lived.

Imoh David won the second place with More Than a Bank. He bagged ₦750,000. Ikeme Ucheckukwu Sixtus came third with Threads of Identity. He won ₦500,000. The other seven won consolation prizes.

In his speech, veteran filmmaker and Head of the faculty for the workshop, Tunde Kelani advised, “let passion be the foundation for your progress in life. You can have the greatest equipment but never forget that you need to develop passion.”

Writer, filmmaker and television producer Femi Odugbemi noted the 10 shortlisted creatives were  selected from over 120 participants aged 16 to 25.

The task, he explained, was to produce a video of 60 to 90 seconds. The video has to be technical and creative and the focus must be about Ecobank.

To Odugbemi,  “we will continue to offer assistance and consultancy to this shortlist of 10. If you need any support or  advisory, you can contact us for free.” 

On her part, Head of SMEs, partnerships and collaboration with Ecobank, Omoboye Odu stated, “we’re intentional about projecting culture. We’re intentional about projecting creatives into film, the arts, fashion, and music. So, you understood the message, you understood what everybody represents. Well done.”

She also stressed need for gender inclusion in the creative industry.
Head of Corporate Communications at Ecobank, Austen Osokpor, also congratulated the winners for promoting African culture and the arts.

With Transformation as theme, the 2026 festival marked 15 years since the founding of iREP, one of Africa’s most influential platforms for documentary films. Convened by the Foundation for the Promotion of Documentary Films in Africa (FPDFA), iREP has consistently advanced documentary storytelling, critical discourse, and capacity development across the continent.

The various events in the programme – conversations, screenings, workshops, trainings etc – spotlighted the role of documentary films in shaping discourse and preserving cultural memory on global platforms.

As a pre-festival capacity-building initiative of the iREP 2026 International Documentary Film Festival, a three-day Mobile Phone Filmmaking Workshop designed to equip emerging filmmakers with practical documentary production skills using mobile devices held.

Facilitated by internationally acclaimed and award-winning filmmakers, participants received intensive, hands-on mentorship throughout the programme. Participants learnt how to conceptualise, shoot, and edit impactful documentary films using mobile technology, with a strong emphasis on storytelling, visual language, and ethical documentary practice.

For the first time in its history, iREP adopted a fully-curated programming model, transitioning away from open submissions. This shift was designed to sharpen its storytelling focus and heighten the artistic coherence of the films selected. The decision proved transformational.