Compiled by Shaibu Husseini

Imo International Film Festival Holds July 23
All is set for the second edition of the Imo International Film Festival (IIFF). The festival, which has quickly positioned itself as a major cultural event in Nigeria’s film industry is scheduled to hold from July 23 to 28, 2026 at Havana Cinemas, New Owerri, Imo State. This year’s theme, Screen to Market: Turning Stories Into Sustainable Enterprises, highlights the festivals focus on transforming creative storytelling into viable economic opportunities within the film industry. According to the President of the Imo International Film Festival, Hon. Chikezie Donatus Nkemdirim, popularly known as Don-Nkems, the IIFF was established to foster the growth and development of African films within the African context and beyond. He expressed confidence that the upcoming edition would be highly successful, providing attendees the opportunity to learn, relearn, and unlearn valuable insights in filmmaking and industry practices. The jury for the 2026 edition is led by notable filmmaker Amayo Uzo Philips. Other members of the jury include Joe Dudun, Dr. Anyamele Uchenna Samuel, Dr. Charles Okwuowulu, Chinwe Ngharamike, Dr. Gloria Ernest, and Prof.

Atul Bolaji. This year’s awards and prizes feature an impressive list of categories including Best Feature Film, Best Student Film, Best Short Film, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, Best Makeup, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Score, Best Picture, Best Sound, and Best Documentary. The maiden edition held in 2024 featured a rich lineup of activities including a Master Class, Panel Discussion, Film Screening, and Awards to deserving Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in various fields.

Deadline For Applications For Tokyo Gap-Financing Market Is July 31
The 7th Tokyo-Gap-Financing Market (TGFM), a project market held as part of TIFFCOM 2026 from Wednesday, October 28 to
Friday, October 30, 2026, has extended its application deadline for participating projects to Friday, July 31, 2026.

TGFM is a dynamic project market created to assist producers of projects in the development stage to secure funding.

Through one-on-one meetings, representatives (producers and directors) of selected projects will be invited to Tokyo where they will have the opportunity to engage with a diverse array of international film industry experts such as sales agents, distributors, production companies, financiers, broadcasters, investors, and more. TGFM places a strong emphasis on funding, requiring that participating projects have secured at least 60% of their total budget. This requirement ensures that the event attracts a multitude of robust projects with significant potential for successful completion. As a result, the one-on-one meetings conducted at TGFM can be highly focused and specific, centered around the funding goals of each project. Since its first edition in 2020, TGFM has seen a steady stream of projects go on to official selections at international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Annecy, Locarno, The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival holds as from October 29 to November 4 while the TIFFCOM holds as from October 28 to October 30. Information on the festival can be sourced at www.tiff-jp.net/en/

Funding Recommendation For Films From Berlinale World Cinema Fund
At the 43rd jury session of the Berlinale World Cinema Fund (WCF), the jury made nine funding recommendations, allocating the current funding of 365,000 euros to projects from Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ecuador, Lebanon, Malaysia, Philippines, Senegal, and Turkey. Additionally, over the past months, three German cinema releases have been supported, with a total funding amount of 28,000 euros. The selection includes three returning WCF directors: Ana Cristina Barragán whose last film Hiedra was awarded at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, Amanda Nell Eu, director of the 2023 Cannes-winner Tiger Stripes, and Apolline Traoré whose Sira premiered at the 2023 Berlinale in the Panorama section. The selection also highlights synergies within the Berlinale Pro ecosystem, with five directors having participated in Berlinale Talents, and two projects showcased at the Berlinale Co-Production Market and Talents Project Market. This marks the first jury session presided over by Sata Cissokho who took over the leadership of the World Cinema Fund at the end of 2025. We have received a record-breaking number of applications and high-quality projects. While the process of recommending only nine projects for funding is not easy, it asserts the importance and relevance of the World Cinema Funds support to cultural diversity through a variety of topics, perspectives and forms. We are particularly proud of accompanying six first features, while also renewing our trust in the works of previous WCF directors’’ says Sata Cissokho.

The WCF jury made its selection from 373 submitted projects from a total of 75 countries. The funding recommendations encompass funding in the amount of 365,000 euros. The African titles that secured funding for either production or distribution include Fagadaga, by Yoro Mbaye (Senegal), Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa (Egypt), and DAO, by Alain Gomis (Senegal). The World Cinema Fund is part of Berlinale Pro, which encompasses the European Film Market, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents, and the World Cinema Fund. Berlinale Pro is the festival’s comprehensive industry infrastructure, serving as an incubator, promoter, and supporter of the global film industry in all phases of film development, production, as well as sales and distribution.