Safari led this year’s winners with three awards out of five nominations, including Outstanding Director for Emelonye and Outstanding Actress (joint winners) for Osas Ighodaro (Safari) and Amina Shehu (Kakanda).
By Joseph Jonathan
Obi Emelonye’s Safari emerged as the top winner at the 22nd edition of the Abuja International Film Festival (AIFF), clinching the coveted Golden Jury Award for Overall Best Film at the festival’s closing ceremony held on Monday, November 10, in Abuja.
The 2025 edition of the festival — themed “From Script to Nation: The Role of Film in Shaping National Identity” — ran from November 6 to 10, bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema enthusiasts from across Nigeria and beyond to celebrate the power of storytelling in nation-building.
Safari led this year’s winners with three awards out of five nominations, including Outstanding Director for Emelonye and Outstanding Actress (joint winners) for Osas Ighodaro (Safari) and Amina Shehu (Kakanda).
Produced with the support of Providus Bank, Safari marks another milestone for Emelonye, known for his acclaimed works such as Last Flight to Abuja (2012) and Badamasi: Portrait of a General (2021). The filmmaker described the win as a reflection of the team’s hard work and dedication ahead of the film’s theatrical release on November 21.
Other winners at the 2025 AIFF include Monologue (Nigeria) for Best Experimental Film, Bridge My Little Friends (Japan) for Best Animation, and Just Live (Russia) for Outstanding Cinematography. The Outstanding Actor award went to Ikechukwu Onanaku for his role in Dead Tide (Nigeria).
In the short film categories, Echoes from the Past (UK) won Outstanding Short Film (Foreign), while Storapy Sessions, On Colos (Nigeria) took home Outstanding Short Film (Nigeria). 6 Kings & 6 Queens (South Africa) won Outstanding Documentary Film, and Toka McBaror’s Kakanda (Nigeria) received Outstanding Nigerian Feature Film.
Since its inception in 2003, the Abuja International Film Festival has remained one of Nigeria’s longest-running film events, providing a platform for filmmakers across Africa and the diaspora to showcase their work, engage with peers, and explore cinema’s role in shaping collective identity and cultural memory.
Full List of Winners — Abuja International Film Festival 2025
Golden Jury Award (Overall Best Film)
- Safari (Nigeria) – Director: Obi Emelonye
Outstanding Director
- Obi Emelonye – Safari (Nigeria)
Outstanding Actress
- Osas Ighodaro – Safari (Nigeria)
- Amina Shehu – Kakanda (Nigeria)
Outstanding Actor
- Ikechukwu Onanaku – Dead Tide (Nigeria)
Outstanding Cinematography
- Just Live (Russia)
Outstanding Animation Film
- Bridge My Little Friends (Japan)
Outstanding Experimental Film
- Monologue (Nigeria)
Outstanding Short Film (Foreign)
- Echoes from the Past (United Kingdom)
Outstanding Short Film (Nigeria)
- Storapy Sessions, On Colos (Nigeria)
Outstanding Documentary Film
- 6 Kings & 6 Queens (South Africa)
Outstanding Feature Film (Nigeria)
- Kakanda – Director: Toka McBaror
Outstanding Feature Film (Foreign)
- The Funeral of Kwadae (Ghana)
Outstanding Music Score
- Dead Tide (Nigeria)
Outstanding Student Film
- Meet Me at the Park (United States)
Special Mention
- Ajaga the Yoke (Nigeria)