The Annual Film Mischief has announced its jury and film lineup for the 2025 edition, which will take place from October across multiple African cities, including Lagos and Abuja in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana, and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
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The festival runs with the theme ‘Reclaiming Self,’ a call to filmmakers, cinephiles, and the wider public to reflect on and reconnect with their identities. Organisers note that this year’s focus is on independent films that explore personal and collective experiences, telling stories rooted in discovery.
Returning to head the jury is filmmaker, actor and media executive Ego Boyo, who has built a career through Temple Productions with works such as Violated, Keeping Faith, The Ghost and the House of Truth and A Hotel Called Memory.
Joining her on the jury is Ghanaian animation director Francis Y. Brown, founder of AnimaxFYB Studios and a pioneer in African animation whose films have screened at Annecy and other major festivals. Kenyan distribution manager and impact producer Chloe Genga will also serve as a juror, bringing her experience from LBX Africa, where she has overseen the release of award-winning documentaries across the continent. The panel is completed by Nigerian filmmaker Victor Sanchez Aghahowa, well known for creating and producing some of Africa’s most popular television shows and films.
Among the films officially selected this year is a short film titled Mother from the directors of Zikoko Life’s anthology short, What’s Left of Us, accompanied by several other titles that reflect the spirit of the theme. These titles range from personal narratives to cultural explorations, each with its own interpretation of the idea of reclaiming identity in different ways. Cheese picks for this edition are Chukwu Martin’s We Danced and Danced and Ogochukwu Umeadi’s Don’t Let Them Die.
Here is a full list of the selected films:
In Competition
Irin Ajo (The Journey) (Nigeria)
Directed by Myde Glover
A family road trip uncovers hidden truths and unresolved tensions in a marriage.
Beyond Olympic Glory (Nigeria)
Director – Shedrack Salami
Follows Cynthia Ogunsemilore, a boxer from Bariga, Lagos, whose journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics is cut short by a doping scandal. The film captures her resilience as she pushes forward with a professional career in the United States.
Kanta: No Challengers (Nigeria)
Director – Gbolahan Qudus Laniyan
Centres on a young man who continues to fight battles within his mind, questioning why he fights at all and whether another life could have been possible.
Sprouting (South Africa)
Directors – Lilitha Baartman and Tumiso Mokobodi
A documentary exploring South African women’s complex relationship with their hair, and the cultural and economic pressures of conforming to Eurocentric beauty standards.
Fofo Means Father (Ghana)
Director – Denzel Owoo
Ghanaian filmmaker Fofo Gavua reflects on his career and mental health while working on his next project.
Cause, Effect & Maybe Consequences? (Nigeria)
Director – Cheyi Oluwaseun Okoaye
A comedic sci-fi short where a man’s past and future selves collide in the present, leading to absurd and chaotic consequences.
Barely Making Much (Uganda)
Director – Ian Nnyanzi
A day in the lives of two girls shows beauty and connection within ordinary moments.
The Grief (Nigeria)
Director – Shittu Opeyemi Abdulafiz
A documentary that explores the pain of loss and the search for healing in the midst of grief.
Mother (Nigeria)
Directors – Olamide Adio and Victor Daniel
Set in Ibadan, the film follows a young tailor navigating an unplanned pregnancy while caring for her grieving father.
Critical Mass NBO (Kenya)
Director – Alex Kanyi Kanyi Maina
Focuses on Nairobi cyclists who ride together to raise awareness for inclusion, equity, and sustainability in urban planning.
Behind the Smile (Nigeria)
Director – Hassan Tha Kreator
A drama about Damola and Ada, two people struggling with depression, showing the hidden battles behind everyday smiles.
Nafasi (The Chance) (Tanzania)
Director – Sudi Mohamedi Masomwa
A young mother’s determination to return to school challenges strict school rules and social expectations.
Zawadi Ya Mjomba (The Uncle’s Gift) (Tanzania)
Director – Fadhili Meta
A childhood tale of superstition and fear reveals family truths and the importance of honesty over blind obedience.
Unasemaje? (Tanzania)
Director – Kelvin Kagambo
In a fictional coastal town, a bride-to-be becomes mysteriously pregnant weeks before her wedding, forcing her loved ones to confront questions of faith and tradition.
Out of Competition
Tell It No More (Nigeria)
Director – Chukwu Martin
A young wife uncovers a shocking marital truth, forcing her to confront generations-old advice on wifehood that shaped her expectations.
Wrong Way (Ghana)
Directed by Nana Kofi Asihene
A robbery goes wrong when a young man realises the woman killed during the crime was his own mother.
What Kept Me Up is the lead media partner at The Annual Film Mischief 2025.
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