Lagos Welcomes XVI Edition of S16 Film Festival Featuring Shorts, Features, and Panels

The 2025 edition of the S16 Film Festival officially opened in Lagos with the screening of Cotton Queen, kicking off five days of screenings, shorts and features, panels and awards, all showcasing African and international independent cinema.

The festival runs from December 1 to December 5 across multiple venues, including the Alliance Française Lagos, Filmhouse Landmark Cinema and the Nigerian Film Corporation. This year marks an expansion in the festival, with two new locations added compared with past editions.

Organised by the Surreal16 Collective in partnership with a range of creative media organisations, S16 has become known for celebrating analogue and arthouse cinema in Nigeria. The festival highlights independent voices and prioritises film‑based cinematography, offering a contrast to mainstream digital filmmaking. Workshops, panel talks and a strong focus on craft and film heritage underpin its mission.

This year, the festival introduces a new accolade: the AFP Critics Prize for the best African short film made on the continent. This will join existing honours such as the Audience Choice Awards for both shorts and features, and the Rising Star Award. Organisers say this is meant to deepen critical engagement with African cinema and uplift emerging filmmakers.

Programming for the festival is varied and ambitious. Over the next several days, audiences can expect competitive short‑film blocks, international presentations, memorable classics, feature premieres, and industry‑facing workshops. Topics covered range from film distribution to navigating international film circuits, giving filmmakers space not only to screen their work but also to learn and connect.

For film lovers, creators and industry professionals alike, the 2025 S16 Film Festival offers a rare chance to engage with cinema from across Africa and beyond in a context that values experimentation, archival aesthetics and independent voices. It stands out as an essential part of Lagos’s cultural landscape.

Whether you are curious about independent filmmaking, interested in Africa’s future, or love films outside the mainstream, this week’s festival promises both depth and discovery.

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