‘Catch them young’ is a phrase often used to encourage young children to take up activities they can grow and excel in later in life. So many times, film training programs are geared towards a particular demographic, excluding children.
The Ibadan Indie Film Awards (IFA) has taken up that responsibility in its immediate environment through the first edition of its IFA Kids Film Workshop. Held over two days in April 2026 at Lakeshow Entertainment Studio, the free programme introduced 17 children from the Idi Ape community to the basics of filmmaking, from storytelling and script development to camera handling and on-set collaboration.
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The workshop was preceded by a community outreach effort led by members of the IFA team, who engaged parents and guardians to secure participation and explain the vision behind the initiative. Facilitated by Chukwu Martin, Ethan Abanikannda, Priscilla Ogundipe, Olayinka “Maestro,” Afolaoluwasade Akintunde, Chabod Oyejide, and Blessed Ifeoluwa, the children moved from learning fundamentals to full production, working collaboratively to create a short film exploring themes of responsibility, trust, and family dynamics. Participants rotated through roles including directing, acting, and production support, offering an early but immersive look at how film sets operate.
Organisers say the goal is less about immediate professionalisation and more about early creative confidence. As one facilitator noted, the focus is on helping children recognise that their lived experiences and imagination already contain stories worth telling, and that expression can be developed into a skill over time.
According to organisers, the first cohort was designed partly as a test run, but the response from the children quickly showed there was genuine interest worth developing further. The children are expected to continue in a guided learning phase through future practical sessions and exposure to different filmmaking roles.
Organisers also plan to integrate them into the wider IFA ecosystem through festival activities, exchange opportunities with other IFA Kids participants, and continued film exposure as future editions expand. IFA plans to host a local community premiere of the short film for the children and their parents before releasing the film publicly on YouTube and a screening at IFA 2026.
The IFA Kids Film Workshop joins the likes of Anthill Studios, increasing space for kids. Last year, the studio organised an Anthill Family Vacation School that trained kids in filmmaking, animation, visual effects and AI at a cost.
More recently, Filmhouse Group, in partnership with Care4Her Initiative, concluded a five-day cinematography training programme in Lagos. The initiative focused on training 100 women entering technical film roles, with sessions covering camera operation, lighting fundamentals, framing, visual storytelling, and production etiquette. Participants were also introduced to real-world production workflows before graduating at a closing ceremony that reinforced the industry’s growing emphasis on structured entry points.
Across the ecosystem, similar efforts have appeared through workshops, labs, and development programmes, including initiatives linked to international talent development frameworks such as the British Film Lab training programme in partnership with EbonyLife Academy and many other micro programmes. These programmes suggest a deliberate attempt to widen access to film education across age groups and demographics, from children in low-income communities to women seeking technical entry points and young filmmakers transitioning into professional practice.
But as these training initiatives multiply, a recurring question remains unresolved: what happens after the workshop ends?
For many participants, these programmes provide first contact with structured filmmaking environments, but the industry itself has yet to consistently absorb or track this growing pipeline of trained beginners. Without clear pathways into apprenticeships, entry-level roles, or sustained mentorship, there is a risk that training becomes episodic exposure rather than long-term career development.
As Nollywood continues to formalise its training ecosystem, the next challenge may not simply be creating more workshops, but ensuring that the people it produces, especially the youngest, have a concrete next step.
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