More programming details for the 13th edition of the NollywoodWeek Film Festival, including its opening and closing films, documentary selection, and the official festival ambassador, have been announced.
The festival which is scheduled to run from May 6 to 10, 2026, in Paris, with the theme Voyage, opens with East-West Love, a Kenya-Nigeria story directed by Seko Shamte, about a post-breakup trip to Mombasa. Starring Sunshine Rosman, Brian Abajah, Efa Iwara, Elma Mbadiwe, and Emmanuel Mugo, the story follows a surprise trip that turned into a journey of healing, friendship, and unexpected love.
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Closing the festival is Ogene, a Japan-Nigeria feature rooted in the Igbo musical tradition of the same name. Starring Gideon Okeke, Tomoko Hayakawa, and Tina Mba, the film follows a love story between two people from different continents.
The documentaries in the 2026 programme includes Joel Kachi Benson’s Mothers of Chibok, focusing on the lives of the mothers years after the abduction of the schoolgirls in 2014, and Batwing: Unmasked which explores the origins and cultural impact of Africa’s first DC Comics superhero.
Non-Nigerian selections in the lineup include Diya (Chad), Goat (Kenya), Memory of Princess Mumbi (Kenya), Zero (Senegal), and The Fisherman (Ghana).
French-Cameroonian comedian and filmmaker Thomas Ngijol will serve as the official ambassador for the 2026 edition. In a statement, NollywoodWeek describes him as “a powerful voice across film and performance,” noting his role in representing the festival’s focus on cultural exchange and connection between Africa and its diaspora. At the festival, he will present his 2025 film Indomptables and lead a masterclass where he will speak about his creative process and cross-cultural storytelling approach.
These additions follow the earlier announcement of Nigerian titles and new industry partnerships.
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