8th Kaduna Film Festival: Filmmakers advocate for film as a catalyst for social change

This year marks another opportunity to celebrate and showcase Kaduna’s unique cultural values through the art of filmmaking. Filmmakers emphasize that cinema must serve as a tool for social change, especially in today’s media-driven society.

This call was made by industry practitioners at the 8th Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF) in North-West Nigeria. They highlighted this year’s theme, “Film for Social Change,” as a timely reminder of the creative industry’s potential to influence lives, shift perspectives, and spark national conversations.

Audu Kashim Israel, the Executive Director of the Festival, stated that storytelling through cinema is one of the most effective ways to drive social development. He reiterated that films are among the most powerful tools for storytelling and advocacy, with the capacity to ignite change, hence the theme for this year’s festival.

In preparation for the 2025 edition, over 2,000 film submissions were received from more than 50 countries. A 9-member board of jurors selected 168 films, featuring multiple nominations from 15 countries, including Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Russia, Finland, France, the USA, India, Tunisia, and Ghana. Uganda led the submissions, marking the third consecutive year of dominance at the Kaduna platform.

“In Africa, we have reached many countries, particularly Uganda, where we have seen a consistent increase in entries for three years. This indicates that the Kaduna Film Festival is well recognized in Uganda,” Audu added.

This year’s festival featured a wide array of vibrant activities, including masterclasses, screenings of inspiring films from over 15 countries, engaging panel discussions, cultural displays and exhibitions, tourism, awards, workshops, and, for the first time, a skill acquisition program.

Globally, film festivals like KADIFF serve as crucial platforms for elevating important conversations. Abuja-based filmmaker Gloria Ugolee-Ehiosun—a passionate advocate for social change—teaches her students the importance of being conscious in their content creation and aims to produce films that promote behavioral change in society.

“I always encourage my students to ensure that whatever movie they create has a consciousness about the content that promotes social change. That is why I am thrilled to participate in this year’s festival focused on social change. Films are powerful tools and should be utilized appropriately,” she said.

Chinyere Nwabueze, a veteran actress and filmmaker from Nollywood, noted, “There are many issues facing our country and immediate environment, so filmmaking can help change some of the negative perceptions impacting us socially.”

UK journalist and film director John Coster commented that this year’s theme is particularly relevant to our times. “Filmmakers should focus on social change in Northern Nigeria and Africa as a whole. It’s time for young filmmakers, in particular, to rise up and start telling stories about Africa from an African perspective, rather than letting others tell their stories,” he stated.

Founded in 2018, the Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF) is the first international film festival in Northern Nigeria.