Nigeria has broken Uganda’s two-year winning streak at the Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), clinching 10 out of 16 awards at the 2025 edition.
Nigerian winners included Best Actor (Kelechi Udegbe, Offshoot), Best Actress (Maryam Booth, Taqdeer), Best Supporting Actor (Ado Ahmad Gidan Dabino, Kakanda), and Best Supporting Actress (Farida Adamu, Kakanda). Juliet Ibrahim’s Healing The Inner Child won Best Cinematography, while Steve Ayeny (Offshoot) took Best Director. Taqdeer ‘Divine Decree’ won Best Feature Film, with additional wins for Best Music Score (Kisum), Best Series (Seven Doors), and Best Editing (Kakanda).
Nigeria also swept all categories of the new KADIFF MTN Viewers’ Choice Awards, including Best Film (Offshoot), Best Actor (Sadiq Ahmad, Kakanda), Best Actress (Amina A. Shehu, Kakanda), Best Indigenous Language Film (Coloured Marriage), and Best Short Film (Bottled Up).
Uganda, though taking fewer prizes, excelled in technical and innovative categories. Wins included Best Animation (Kintu), Best Experimental Film (The Real General), Best Documentary (The Shadow of the Pandemic), Best Short Film (Half Chocolate Half Vanilla), Best Student Film (Dinner for Three), and Best Indigenous Film (Mysteries of Love).
Festival founder and director, Israel Kashim Audu, acknowledged Nigeria’s strong showing but noted continued low participation from northern Nigerian filmmakers. “The festival is held in Kaduna, but we still don’t have enough northern practitioners in attendance. We are working to change that,” he said.
Since its inception in 2018, KADIFF has become a catalyst for northern film culture, inspiring festivals such as the Kano Indigenous Film Festival (KILAF), Kano International Film Festival, Kwara Film Festival, and Lafia Documentary Film Festival. This year, it attracted over 2,000 submissions from 50 countries and screened 168 films.
The 2025 edition also saw record participation from students of Kaduna State University, Kaduna Polytechnic, and Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, offering young creatives valuable exposure. Hauwa, a first-time attendee, described it as “an eye-opener,” crediting a masterclass by veteran actor Francis Duru for deepening her passion for filmmaking.
Despite challenges in local engagement, KADIFF continues to strengthen northern Nigeria’s place in African cinema and raise global recognition for Nigerian filmmakers.
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