A look at the titles on our Nigerian Films of the Year So Far list reveals a striking trend. Women drive many of the stories. Across narratives that explore ethnic and religious tensions, housing struggles, the country’s missing persons crisis, and even a surprise 2026 romcom hit, these films place female characters at the centre. Whether fictional or drawn from real events, they reflect the times we are living in through distinct perspectives and storytelling styles.
We will kick off the list with the short films because, so far, we have seen more impressive short films in what has been a relatively slow, and at times disappointing, year. Not necessarily disappointing in an outright sense (storytelling mostly remains uneven), but rather a year that has hardly offered any surprises.
After the short films, you will find our feature films of the year so far at the bottom.
Short Films
The short films include titles we reviewed between December 2025 and May 2026, regardless of their release dates or availability to general audiences.
Honourable Mention(s): I Too Crave Death
Market People
Director: Jeremiah John
Writer: Jeremiah John
Our review: “The film treats cinema as art. It is raw, subtle, and tender. John’s influences and sensibilities are clear — film as art, philosophy, and activism.”
Dear Dija
Director: Ifeoma Chukwuogo
Writer: Nduka Ebube Dike
Production company: Idunoba Entertainment
Our review: “The dialogue between them carries much of that weight. Conversations feel rich and appropriate to their reality, even when they slip into moments of cheesiness. Rather than weaken the film, those lines land as part of the honesty of young love, earnest, sometimes exaggerated, and deeply felt.”
Dear Dija is available on YouTube.
Hussaini
Director: Orire Nwani
Writer: Stephen Okonkwo
Production company: Conceptified Media
Our review: “For a short film, Hussaini is remarkably restrained. Its cinematography (handled by Muhammad Atta Ahmed) and editing (credited to Olalekan Afolabi) are simple, almost unassuming, but they serve the performances with precision. And the performances are where the film finds its deepest strength.”
Hussaini world premiered at NollywoodWeek 2026.
Feature Films
The consideration window for feature films is the same as for the short films: December 2025 to May 2026. The difference, however, is that the films must have been released to the general audience within that period. As such, films we may have seen and deeply enjoyed at festivals will not make this list just yet.
Honourable Mention(s): When Nigeria Happens
Mothers of Chibok
Director: Joel Kachi Benson
Production companies: JB Multimedia Studios, Hunting Lane Films, Impact Partners, Shark Island Productions
Our review: “Among the diverse talents lending their voices to this story, Joel Kachi Benson’s Mothers of Chibok stands out as a unique chronicle of hope and longing, of resilience even when the odds seem bereft of favour”
Mothers of Chibok premiered in cinemas on February 27, 2026.
Call of My Life
Director: Dammy Twitch
Writer: Uzoamaka Power
Production company: Bluhouse Studios
Our review: “Dammy Twitch’s Call Of My Life takes each romcom trope, attempts to give them local cultural context, to deliver an hour-and-fifty-minute colourful, funny, sometimes awkward entry into the Nigerian romcom canon.”
Call of My Life premiered in cinemas on May 15, 2026.
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