With one in four people on the planet being African by 2050, a seismic change is already starting to register in the global independent filmmaking community. The All African Independent Film Festival (AAIFF Africa), based in Kigali, Rwanda will showcase the immense breadth and talent in independent filmmaking from the 54 countries that make
up the continent, where independent cinema plays an ever increasing, and crucial role, in amplifying diverse voices and narratives. As African cinema gains global recognition, the expected local and global growth in viewership reflects a burgeoning interest in authentic storytelling and unique perspectives from the continent in which 1.3 billion people live and create.
AAIFF Africa 2025 offers 16 awards in 10 categories including Africa’s Best Independent Film Director 2025 and Africa’s Best Independent Film 2025.
As the sister film festival of ÉCU—the European Independent Film Festival, which has been held in Paris for 20 years, the AAIFF Africa has the ability to harness the rock-solid reputation of the ÉCU Film Festival Group as being one of the World’s foremost independent film festivals groups and to help bring global attention to Africa’s independent filmmakers.
Our objective is to offer excellent opportunities for all the African independent filmmakers to find audiences for their films, to connect with peers, distributors and talent scouts – and importantly to provide them unforgettable film festival experience.
Prizes range from year to year.
The awards for the 2025 edition are:
Africa’s Best Independent Film 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Film Director 2025
Best Cinematography 2025
Best Editing 2025
Best Actress 2025
Best Actor 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Dramatic Feature Film 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Dramatic Short Film 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Documentary 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Music Video 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Animated Film 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Student Film 2025
Africa’s Best Independent Experimental Film 2025
Best Independent Feature Script 2025
Best Independent Short Script 2025
Rwandan Students Special Award 2025