Compiled by Shaibu Husseini

Tribeca Film Festival Unveils Winner
Curtain drew on the 25th yearly Tribeca Film Festival on June 14 in New York City. Presented by OKX, the festival announced competition winners, with Cotton Fever, Labrador – Autopsy of Silence, and Jail Time Records taking top honours in the U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, and Documentary competitions, respectively.

Marcel Ruiz, Paolo Schoene, and Kiki Montilla earned Best Performance in a U.S. Narrative Feature for Summer of Three, while Christopher Angatookalook received Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature for Labrador – Autopsy of Silence. The Festival also awarded its inaugural Best New York Short honour to Insufficient Fare. This year’s winners reflected the global scope of the festival, with honourees representing countries across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. The competition categories span the breadth of Tribeca’s programming, with awards recognising achievement in U.S. Narrative, International Narrative, Documentary, Viewpoints, Nora Ephron, Short Film, Best New Directors, Podcasts, Games, AT&T Untold Stories, and Tribeca X. “This year’s award winners embody the spirit of Tribeca: fearless work that crosses borders, expands the form, and reveals the power of storytelling to uncover humanity in unexpected places,” said Festival Director and SVP of Programming Cara Cusumano.

“As we celebrate our 25th year, these artists remind us that powerful stories do more than entertain, they deepen our empathy, broaden our perspective, and bring us closer together.” Several films earned multiple honors across competition categories. Labrador – Autopsy of Silence led the International Narrative Competition with awards for Best International Narrative Feature, Best Performance, and Best Cinematography, while Summer of Three earned both Best Performance and Best Screenplay in U.S. Narrative Competition. In the Documentary Competition, Jail Time Records received both Best Documentary Feature and the Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director, while Cotton Fever took home the Founders Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Best Cinematography in a U.S. Narrative Feature. Select categories receive the unique Tribeca Festival Art Award from a selection of artists led by curator Zoe Lukov. Supported by CHANEL, the world-class artists donated work to honored filmmakers. Winners of the Audience Award, which are determined by audience votes throughout the Festival, will be announced at a later date. Alicia Keys had the honor of closing the festival with the premiere of her new documentary Alicia Keys: Girl From Hell’s Kitchen. The film is both an examination of her life and career, and a look at how she put together her hit musical Hell’s Kitchen, loosely based on her own experiences.

Kaduna International Film Festival
To Hold In August
THE 9th edition of the Kaduna International Film Festival will hold in Kaduna as from August 25 to 29, 2026. Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the festival Isreal Kashim Audu disclosed that preparations leading to the actualization of the 2026 edition started with the official unveiling of the nominations which according to him is made up of films that celebrate outstanding achievements in African and international cinema. Isreal Kashim stated that this year’s nominations reflect the festival’s growing international reach, with strong participation from filmmakers across Nigeria, Uganda, India, Sweden, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Kingdom. ‘’The categories recognize excellence in feature films, directing, acting, cinematography, animation, documentary, indigenous storytelling, student filmmaking, editing, and production design’ he said. Films nominated in the feature Film Category include, Wrong Number by Nakabuuka Aisha (Uganda), Longing to Belong by Mariam Ndagire Kizito (Uganda), Adui by Ayeny T. Steve (Uganda), When Love Prays by Ben Cassie (Nigeria), Pink Diary by Samuel Idiagbonya (Nigeria), and Nini by Samuel Idiagbonya (Nigeria). The Best Director category features nominations for Ssesimba Taddeo for At the Edge, Ben Cassie for When Love Prays, Samuel Idiagbonya for Nini, and Nakabuunka Aisha for Wrong Number. Actors including Uzee Usman Adeyemi, Yemi Blaq, Uche Montana, Bimbo Akintola and Patience Ozokwor earned nominations in the acting category for their exceptional performances. In the Animation Category, nominated films include Enough by Denis Junior (Uganda), Then I Grew Up by Ssenani Ssentongo (Uganda), and Amani Groove Quest by Ibukun Akeroro (Nigeria/UK). The Indigenous Film Category highlights culturally rooted storytelling with nominations for Oyiza by Yemi Filmboy Morafa (Nigeria), Daughter of the Soil and Broken Life by Ronald Kyomuhendo (Uganda), and Wane Ne by Adam Mustapha Garba (Nigeria). More information can be sourced at www.kadunainternationalfilmfestival.com

Massive Entries For 2026 Imo International Film Festival
THE Jury for the 2026 Imo International Film Festival has announced the receipt of over 110 entries for this year’s festival. The Head Juror, Amayo Uzo Philips, stated that entries were received from different parts of the world, including South Africa, Morocco, France, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Nepal, and the United States of America. According to him, submissions were received in various categories including Best Short Film, Best Screenplay, Best Make-Up, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Best Supporting Actor (Male), and Best Supporting Actor (Female). Other categories include Best Indigenous Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Documentary Film, and Best Feature Film. The 2026 edition of the Imo International Film Festival, themed “Screen to Market: Turning Stories into Sustainable Enterprise,” is scheduled to hold from July 23 to 25 in Owerri, the Imo State capital. More information at www.imoiff.ng.