Six film companies from Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia have been selected as buyers for the inaugural edition of TIFF: The Market.
By Adedamola Jones Adedayo
Six film companies from Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia have been selected as buyers for the inaugural edition of TIFF: The Market, a seven-day initiative of the Toronto International Film Festival dedicated to catalysing creative and commercial ambitions and powering the future of the screen sector, slated for 10th to 16th September, 2026.
Nigeria is represented by FilmOne Entertainment, a leading West African independent film production and distribution company based in Lagos. The company is renowned for local box-office successes such as The Wedding Party (2016) and Behind the Scenes (2025) and has also handled the theatrical distribution of major Hollywood releases across the region.
South Africa accounts for four of the six African companies selected: Filmfinity, Sun Africa Group, Forefront Media Group, and Digicine. Filmfinity is one of Southern Africa’s leading distribution companies, known for titles such as Keeping Up with the Kandasamys (2017) and Mr. Bones 3: Son of Bones (2022). The company also serves as the exclusive theatrical partner for major studios, including Sony Pictures Entertainment and The Walt Disney Company, in the region.
Also selected is Sun Africa Group, a Johannesburg-based distribution company and subsidiary of Telefilms Group, which recently entered into a strategic partnership with StudioCanal. Forefront Media Group, another Johannesburg-based company, has built a reputation through the distribution of acclaimed international titles, including Rust and Bone (2012) and Still Alice (2014). Meanwhile, Digicine Motion Pictures/Studios operates at the intersection of cinema, digital distribution, artificial intelligence-driven content creation and creative technology.
Representing North Africa is Tunisia’s Hakka Distribution, a company specialising in independent commercial cinemas and alternative screening networks. Its catalogue includes notable regional and international titles such as Beauty and the Dogs (2017), which premiered at Cannes, Noura’s Dream (2019), and the Academy Awards-selected The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020).
TIFF: The Market 2026 will involve curated access and purposeful matchmaking, innovations across different formats, and a heterogeneous audience with the presence of buyers, sellers, creators, and producers from the global screen industry.
The six African companies will join more than 130 buyers from 49 countries participating in the inaugural edition. With its attendance reflecting global participation and recognition from Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and Africa, TIFF: The Market looks set to position itself as yet another global marketplace for cross-border collaborations, creative and cultural exchange, and business opportunities.