Lagos is about to make history. In September 2025, the city will host the first-ever Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Film Festival (NAIFF). This would be a groundbreaking event that puts Nollywood at the centre of the global conversation on the future of filmmaking.
NAIFF aims to explore the intersection of technology and storytelling, creating new opportunities for filmmakers and creatives as artificial intelligence continues to reshape the global film industry. The festival is positioned as a rallying point for ethical AI integration in filmmaking, fostering innovation while celebrating daring, tech-driven storytelling.
“NAIFF is about championing the next frontier of cinematic innovation where art and technology converge,” said founder Obinna Okerekeocha, a seasoned creative community builder with over a decade of experience across advertising, film, branding, and philanthropy sectors in Nigeria and beyond.
The festival will feature a lineup of activities including training sessions, practical masterclasses, and panel discussions with leading AI filmmakers from around the world. Attendees can also expect exclusive screenings of feature films, shorts, documentaries, animations, and VFX projects—all created with AI technologies.
Beyond the screenings, NAIFF aims to cultivate a vibrant community where AI filmmakers, tech pioneers, and curious creatives can collaborate, share ideas, and reimagine the future of African storytelling.
Okerekeocha’s career spans building super-brands in Nigeria’s advertising and television industries, spearheading creative projects at the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and playing a pioneering role in the creation of REDTV, the award-winning pan-African entertainment platform powered by UBA. He currently serves as the Director of Content at Moniepoint Inc., a leading microfinance bank advancing financial inclusion across Africa.
At its core, NAIFF is more than a festival; it is a movement calling on Nollywood and Africa’s broader creative sectors to embrace AI as a tool for amplifying human creativity, not as a threat to it.
The inaugural edition promises to set the tone for how African cinema can lead conversations about the ethical and creative integration of artificial intelligence in filmmaking.
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