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NDIFF
Niger Delta International Film Festival
"Our Water. Our Stories."
Warri • Delta • Lagos 2026
Submit Your Film Get Accredited
7
Days of Festival
11
Films in Competition
9
Niger Delta States
297
Creatives Trained

Cinema as a cultural institution. The Niger Delta, told on its own terms.

NDIFF is a Pan-African international film festival based in Warri and Lagos, built to give the Niger Delta a permanent place on the world cinema stage. It exists at the intersection of heritage and industry — where regional storytelling meets international production standards.

Every edition brings together premieres, industry conversations, cultural experiences, and an awards programme that celebrates both global cinema and the nine states of the Niger Delta, one story at a time.

Learn more about the festival →
Festival Pillars

Four pillars, one festival.

01

Film Screenings & Premieres

International feature films, documentaries, Niger Delta showcases, world premieres, and short film competitions.

02

Industry Conversations

Expert panels, masterclasses, and workshops with exclusive networking alongside global filmmakers and industry leaders.

03

Cultural Experiences

Live music celebrating Niger Delta heritage, art exhibitions, and culinary showcases from local artisans.

04

NDIFF Awards

Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Documentary, Short Film Categories, and the Audience Choice Award.

The NDIFF Creative Academy

Training the next generation of Niger Delta storytellers.

The Academy trains 297 filmmakers and creators across 11 teams — one from each Niger Delta state — whose films premiere at the annual NDIFF festival.

Apply to the Academy →
The Pipeline

From training to the red carpet.

Pre-Onboarding
Learning Weeks
Ruthless Execution
Festival Capstone
Our Partners & Sponsors
Presenting Partner
State Government
Brand Partner
Media Partner
Industry Partner
Become a Partner →
About NDIFF

About NDIFF

A cultural institution for the Niger Delta and the world.

NDIFF is not just a film festival. It is a declaration. A reclamation. A stage on which the Niger Delta tells its own story — in its own words, through its own lens.

Built in Warri and Lagos, the festival exists to place Niger Delta cinema alongside the world's great festivals — Cannes, TIFF, Sundance — while remaining unmistakably rooted in the culture, waters, and history of the region it comes from.

NDIFF is building an entire pipeline: a Creative Academy that trains the region's next filmmakers, a production season that puts cameras in the hands of nine states, and a festival that turns that work into premieres, markets, and careers.

What We Stand For

The principles behind the festival.

Cultural Identity

Celebrating and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the nine Niger Delta states through the art of cinema.

Every screening, showcase, and panel is an act of documentation — making sure the region's stories are told by the people who live them.

Creative Excellence

Setting and enforcing international production standards so Niger Delta stories travel the world.

NDIFF holds every film, from the Academy's first cohort to its international premieres, to the same bar of craft.

Youth and the Future

Through the NDIFF Creative Academy, building the next generation of Nigerian filmmakers, producers, and creators.

297 trainees across 11 teams enter the industry with real productions, real premieres, and real credits.

Economic Impact

Converting culture into commerce. Training into employment. Stories into sustainable industries.

NDIFF is designed as an engine for the creative economy of the Niger Delta, not a single week of celebration.

The Festival by the Numbers

NDIFF 2026, at scale.

9
Niger Delta States Represented
297
Creatives in Training
11
Films in Competition
2,000+
Jobs Created Annually by Year 3
₦6B+
Projected Economic Activity
7
Days of Cultural Celebration
The Team

The people behind NDIFF.

Bucci Franklin
Festival Ambassador
Actor and producer championing Niger Delta cinema on the national stage.
Blossom Chukwujekwu
Festival Ambassador
Award-winning actor lending his voice to the region's storytelling movement.
Rex Idaminabo
Programme Advisor
Creative producer shaping NDIFF's training and production pipeline.
Bikiya Graham Douglas
Cultural Advisor
Actor and advocate connecting NDIFF to the wider Niger Delta arts community.
Rotimi Akinde
Industry Advisor
Filmmaker guiding NDIFF's industry conversations and masterclass programme.
Lyndsey Efijoku
Operations Lead
Overseeing the festival's on-ground delivery across Warri and Lagos.
Enyo Obed
Partnerships Lead
Building the coalition of states, brands, and institutions behind NDIFF.
Festival Programme

Festival Programme

7 days. 11 premieres. One Niger Delta.

Programme Overview

Seven days, December 2026.

01
Tue · 1 Dec
Opening Night Premiere
Red carpet · World premiere screening, Warri
02
Wed · 2 Dec
Niger Delta State Showcases Begin
State team screenings
03
Thu · 3 Dec
Industry Conversations
Panels and masterclasses
04
Fri · 4 Dec
Documentary Spotlight
Niger Delta stories
05
Sat · 5 Dec
International Screenings
African and world cinema
06
Sun · 6 Dec
Cultural Night
Music, food, art, heritage
07
Mon · 7 Dec
Awards Night
NDIFF Awards ceremony & closing gala, Lagos
Film Sections

What's screening.

Section

International Feature Films

Narrative features from filmmakers around the world, screening alongside Niger Delta cinema on the same stage.

Submit Your Film →
Section

Niger Delta Cinema Showcase

Films produced by the nine State Teams of the NDIFF Creative Academy, premiering for the first time.

Submit Your Film →
Section

Short Film Competition

Open-category short films from Nigerian filmmakers, competing for the Audience Choice Award.

Submit Your Film →
Section

Documentary Strand

Documentary films engaging with the people, culture, history, and contemporary realities of the Niger Delta.

Submit Your Film →
Industry Conversations

Where the industry gathers.

Expert Panels

Acclaimed filmmakers and industry leaders discussing the future of African cinema.

Masterclasses

Award-winning directors and cinematographers sharing craft and process.

Networking Sessions

Exclusive sessions connecting creators, financiers, and distributors globally.

NDIFF
Cultural Experiences

A festival that lives beyond the screen.

  • Live music performances celebrating Niger Delta heritage
  • Art exhibitions from local artists
  • Culinary showcases from Niger Delta chefs and artisans
  • State cultural activations — fashion, food, music, storytelling
Get Involved

Get Involved

Submit a film, apply for accreditation, join the Academy, or partner with NDIFF 2026.

Film Submissions

Submit Your Film — NDIFF 2026 is now accepting submissions.

International Feature Film

Narrative features over 60 minutes from anywhere in the world.

African Short Film

Short narrative films under 40 minutes from African filmmakers.

Niger Delta Documentary

Documentary films that engage with the people, culture, history, or contemporary realities of the Niger Delta.

Short Film Competition

Open category short films under 20 minutes from Nigerian filmmakers.

  • Films must have been completed after January 2024.
  • All films must include English subtitles if dialogue is in another language.
  • Films submitted to Niger Delta Documentary must have a genuine connection to the Niger Delta region.
  • Submissions are accepted in DCP, MP4 (H.264), or ProRes format.
  • Entry fees: International — $25. African — free. Nigerian — free. Nigerian students — free.
  • Submission deadline: 30 September 2026. Notification of selection: 15 October 2026.
✓

Submission received.

Thank you for submitting to NDIFF 2026. You'll hear from us by 15 October 2026.

For queries about film submissions, contact submissions@ndiff.ng

Accreditation

Get Accredited — NDIFF 2026 accreditation is now open.

Press & Media

Journalists, bloggers, photographers, and broadcasters covering the festival.

Industry Professional

Filmmakers, producers, distributors, commissioning editors, and buyers.

Sponsor & Partner

Representatives of brands, organisations, and institutions partnering with NDIFF.

General Public

Film lovers and cultural enthusiasts attending screenings and events.

  • Festival pass for all 7 days
  • Access to screenings and cultural events
  • Press and industry accreditation includes access to the marketplace and industry panels
  • NDIFF branded accreditation badge
  • Access to the NDIFF digital programme guide
  • Invitations to networking events (industry and press accreditation only)
✓

Application received.

Thank you for applying for NDIFF 2026 accreditation. Our team will be in touch shortly.

NDIFF Creative Academy

Training. Production. Festival. The full pipeline.

The NDIFF Creative Academy trains 297 filmmakers and creators from the Niger Delta in an 8-week intensive hub-based programme. Their films premiere at NDIFF.

Stage One

The Academy

8 weeks of intensive hub-based training across the full film value chain. 297 trainees. 11 teams. 9 Niger Delta states.

Stage Two — September

Production Month

Teams deploy to their home states and shoot their films under professional supervision and strict quality control.

Stage Three — October

The Festival

Films premiere at NDIFF. The marketplace converts training into placements, deals, and distribution.

Free Virtual Programme

The Foundation — Free Virtual Bootcamp

Before the hub. Before the films. A 2-week free virtual bootcamp for Niger Delta indigenes aged 18–35. Applications open 5 July. Closing 28 July.

Apply Now →
Partners & Sponsors

Building the creative economy of the Niger Delta together.

Presenting Partner

Full Festival Naming Rights

Maximum visibility across all assets. One presenting partner slot available for the 2026 edition.

State Government Partners

Sponsor a State Team

Each Niger Delta state government sponsors their State Team in the NDIFF Creative Academy — funding 27 trainees, the state film production, and the in-festival premiere spotlight.

  • Trainee Sponsorship
  • Film Output Sponsorship
  • In-Festival Premiere
Brand Partners

Four ways brands can join.

Adopt a Team

₦270m

per cohort

The Unity Team

₦300m

National Pride

₦320m

The 9 State Collective

₦2.43b

Brand visibility across 7 days of premium festival programming.

Content association with internationally standard short films and creator content.

Access to 297 trained creative professionals as a graduate talent pool.

Cultural brand positioning as a champion of Niger Delta identity and Nigerian excellence.

Partner with NDIFF 2026

Spaces are limited — contact our partnerships team.

✓

Enquiry sent.

Thank you for your interest in partnering with NDIFF. Our partnerships team will reach out soon.

Or email us directly at partnerships@ndiff.ng

Get in Touch

Contact NDIFF

We'd love to hear from you.

General Enquiries

info@ndiff.ng

Film Submissions

submissions@ndiff.ng

Partnerships & Sponsorship

partnerships@ndiff.ng
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Message sent.

Thank you for reaching out to NDIFF. We'll respond as soon as possible.