African AI International Film Festival 2026: Where African Stories Meet AI Innovation

The African AI International Film Festival (AAIIFF) debuts in January 2026, marking a defining moment for African storytelling at the intersection of culture, creativity, and artificial intelligence. Designed as a global-facing festival rooted in African soil, AAIIFF creates a space where technology does not replace identity but amplifies it, allowing African stories to be told with depth, imagination, and authenticity.

Scheduled for January 2–3, 2026, the maiden edition brings together filmmakers, innovators, cultural thinkers, and audiences from across Africa and the diaspora to explore how AI is reshaping the art of filmmaking while preserving cultural heritage.

A Festival Built on Culture and Imagination

AAIIFF exists to solve a long-standing challenge in African media: limited access to platforms that support experimental storytelling without the constraints of budget, equipment, or geography. Through AI-driven filmmaking, creators are empowered to reimagine mythology, interrogate social realities, document lived experiences, and explore bold new narrative forms.

Sandra Adeyeye Bello

As the festival’s Founder and Creative Director, Sandra Adeyeye Bello, notes in her opening remarks, AAIIFF is “a celebration of our diversity, innovation, shared humanity, and the culture that binds us across oceans,” welcoming creators and audiences from cities across Africa and the global diaspora.

Keynote Speakers 

The festival features keynote addresses from leading voices shaping conversations around AI, leadership, health, and inclusion.

Grace Oyedokun

Grace Oyedokun, Lead Coordinator of African Women in AI (AWAI), delivers a keynote focused on inclusion and digital transformation. Her work centres on empowering African women to explore, learn, and build meaningful careers in AI, while advocating for equitable participation in the global AI ecosystem.

Dr. Peter Ajanson

Also delivering a keynote is Dr. Peter Ajanson, National President of the YALI RLC Alumni Association Nigeria. A medical doctor and public health expert, Dr. Ajanson is known for integrating AI into health research, policy analysis, advocacy, and storytelling. His work highlights how innovation can bridge gaps in governance, health systems, and social impact across Africa.

Film Showcases Rooted in African Heritage

AAIIFF’s film programme is a rich tapestry of African narratives told through AI-enhanced storytelling.

Featured films include:

• The Weaver by Akor U. Daniel (Nigeria), a powerful story of ancestry, tradition, and technology woven through the legacy of Akwete cloth.

• Nsiak Obong Uboikpa (The Woman King) by Nnyema Benson Ekon (Nigeria), a tale of courage, ancestral power, and feminine leadership.

• The Girl Who Carried the Sky by Mercy Beryl (Kenya), a moving exploration of grief, destiny, and spiritual transformation.

• The Last Taste by God’swill Uebari Jeremiah (Nigeria), a cultural drama centred on heritage, unity, and culinary memory.

• Our Culture by Chikodi (Chika) Babs-Mensah (Nigeria), which explores identity, faith, and ancient spiritual legacies colliding with modern life.

• Still Waters (Yeye Osun) by Dr. Taiwo Anjorin (Nigeria), a deeply symbolic story inspired by Yoruba spirituality, healing, and rebirth

  
  

These films demonstrate how AI can be used not as a spectacle, but as a storytelling canvas for African history, mythology, and lived experience.

Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo

Masterclasses 

Beyond screenings, AAIIFF places strong emphasis on learning and capacity building. A Filmmaking Masterclass will be led by Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo, Producer, Artistic Director, cultural administrator, and founder of Arojah Royal Theatre. With over 15 years of experience across theatre, journalism, and festival direction, his session focuses on sustaining African theatre and film culture while adapting to new creative technologies.

Pharm. Ifeakandu Ume

The festival concludes with closing remarks from Pharm. Ifeakandu Ume, Vice President, North-Central of the United States Exchange Alumni Association of Nigeria (USGEAA). A public health supply chain expert and civic leader, his work bridges health advocacy, leadership development, and community engagement across Nigeria and beyond

Why AAIIFF Matters

AAIIFF is not just a film festival. It affirms that African creators are not waiting to be included in the future of filmmaking. They are actively shaping it. Through AI, storytelling becomes more accessible, more experimental, and more reflective of African realities.

For filmmakers, creatives, technologists, and audiences, the African AI International Film Festival January 2026 offers a compelling invitation: to witness a new chapter in African cinema where culture remains central, imagination leads, and technology expands what is possible.

For audiences, creatives, and enthusiasts, AAIIFF 2026 is an unmissable event. It is a celebration of Africa’s evolving voice in technology and culture. Follow the festival, engage with its stories, and witness how Africa is not just participating in the future of storytelling via www.youtube.com/@sabstudiosng

Omote Ro Dhe is proud to join AAIIFF as a media partner, documenting and amplifying this historic movement. Through this collaboration, Omote Ro Dhe helps showcase groundbreaking stories to a wider audience, while also providing the festival with professional media coverage and visibility. This partnership strengthens both parties: AAIIFF benefits from extended reach and storytelling support, and Omote Ro Dhe continues to deliver inspiring content about Africa’s most innovative creative initiatives.

Also, join AFN-AI Filmmakers Network now (Check below)