The 2025 edition of The Annual Film Mischief carried a fitting theme, Reclaiming Self, and from the moment you walked into the venue, it was clear that this was a gentle reminder to breathe as much as it was a film festival. The space felt cozy and intentional, the kind of environment that made you want to exhale. You could tell the organisers wanted everyone to feel at ease. This was achieved with a warm atmosphere, friendly faces and a general sense of calm that made the experience enjoyable.
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The festival’s curation this year leaned well into its theme. Films screened across the weekend explored personal identity, mental health and their importance. Alongside film screenings, the festival’s programming featured an interactive mental health session on dealing with loss and trauma with the team from Ndidi (a wellness and mental health outfit) and a filmmaking session on telling gender equitable stories, by filmmaker Shimatever Igbawua (Salamatu’s Rhapsody). The final day of film screenings saw Josh Olaoluwa and Orire Nwani of Conceptified Media (Tales of Ramadan) inspire attendees to create fearlessly, an intentional title of their session as noted by festival director, Precious Iroagalachi.
What didn’t work so well was the timing of the events. Many of them didn’t start on time, often waiting for the venue to fill up before beginning. While that’s understandable, it sometimes made the day drag over the scheduled hours. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it’s something that could be improved in future editions through more and intense awareness about the festival.
What Kept Me Up’s standout creatives are Shedrack Salami, director of Beyond Olympic Glory, a short documentary about an Olympic boxer who was disqualified at the Paris Olympics and accused of doping. Cheyi Okoaye, in a real and honest performance, was another standout creative for his performance in Cause, Effect, and Maybe Consequences?, a film he also wrote and directed. Then there was Denzel Owoo, director of Fofo Means Father, a documentary about a filmmaker dealing with bipolar disorder and how it affects his creativity. The director told the story in a way that connected with many attending audiences, myself included. The film showed vulnerability and courage without over-dramatising it. An additional mention would be Martha Ehinome in Tell it No More for her portrayal of a young pregnant wife who has been conditioned to the old beliefs of marriage.
The festival also celebrated its annual Cheese Prize winners, with the jury led by Ego Boyo. Winners from the three award categories are:
Jury Cheese Prize
Farewell to the Wind by Mirko Rucnov
Grand Cheese Prize
Beyond Olympic Glory by Shedrack Salami
Audience Cheese Prize
Cause, Effect, and Maybe Consequences? by Cheyi Okoaye
The Annual Film Mischief took place from October 16 to 19 in Lagos and Abuja. Upcoming festival dates in other African cities are:
Nairobi: November 1-2
Dar es Salaam: November 7-8
WKMUp is the lead media partner for The Annual Film Mischief 2025.
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