The organisers of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) have announced the lineup of films set to screen at its 14th edition. The prestigious festival will run from November 2 to November 8 in Lagos, Nigeria, culminating in a globe awards night. This year’s theme, “Rhythms of the Continent: The Afrobeats Film Movement,” celebrates Afrobeats and its influence beyond music, exploring how the genre continues to inspire and shape storytelling in film.

The festival’s opening film is 3 Cold Dishes, directed by Oluseyi Asurf and executive produced by Grammy-winning artist Burna Boy through his film company, Spaceship Films. Described as a revenge thriller, the film stars Osas Ighodaro, Wale Ojo, Ruby Akubueze, Greg Ojefua, Femi Jacobs, and Mentor Ba.

This year’s selections feature almost 100 titles spanning feature films, documentaries, student films, and short films from across Africa and the diaspora. The lineup includes a couple of titles having their international and Nigerian premieres at the festival. Titles such as Zoey Martinson’s The Fisherman, South African Lottery Love, Zheng Yunchang’sThe Answer To Forever, documentary Eyes of Ghana, Kenyan feature Nawi, and Zimbabwean Matabeleland will make their Nigerian premieres. While Nwamaka Chikezie’s To Adaego with love, Uche Chukwu’s Njem, Kayode Kasum’s The Good Gift, Austrian documentary Lace Relations and Obi Emelonye’s Safari are some titles set for their world premieres.

Aside from the numerous films set to screen at the festival, there will also be a series of workshops and masterclasses exploring various aspects of filmmaking. Some of the topics to be discussed include Demystifying Film Distribution Deals and Rhythms of the Continent: The Afrobeat Movement and Its Impact on African Films. These sessions will be led by creatives and film professionals from across the continent, including Blessing Uzzi, Moses Babatope, Davido, and Bimbo Akintola.

AFRIFF will also introduce the AFRIFF Film & Content Market (AFCM), running from November 3rd to 6th, aimed at fostering business exchange within Africa’s creative industry.