The Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) 2026 has unveiled its official award categories, with filmmakers from Africa and across the world competing for honours in documentary, feature film, animation, acting, technical craftsmanship, international cinema and film tourism.
The festival, scheduled to hold from October 29 to November 1, 2026, on Bonny Island, Rivers State, said the awards were designed to recognise excellence in filmmaking while promoting cultural storytelling and the use of cinema as a tool for tourism and economic development.
According to the festival organisers, RIFF 2026 received 3,021 film submissions, from which 356 films were selected, while 136 films earned nominations. The submissions represented filmmakers from 182 countries, underscoring what the organisers described as the festival’s growing international reach.
The theme of this year’s festival is “Film Tourism: A Pathway to Economic Development.”
Among the major awards are Best African Film, Best International Film, Best Film for Tourism Promotion, Overall Best Film – Feature Length, Overall Best Documentary and Overall Best Animation.
The festival will also honour outstanding performances with awards for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
In the technical and creative categories, awards will be presented for Best Props, Best Make-up/Special Effects, Best Film Location, Best Costume, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Sound Design, among others.
The documentary section features awards for Best Documentary Title, Best Documentary Story, Best Sound Design – Documentary, Best Cinematography – Documentary, Best Editing – Documentary, Best Director – Documentary and Overall Best Documentary.
For feature films, the categories include Best Story – Feature Length, Best Sound Design – Feature Length, Best Cinematography – Feature Length, Best Editing – Feature Length, Best Director – Feature Film, Best Short Film and Overall Best Film – Feature Length.
Animation filmmakers will compete in categories including Best Animator Director, Best Animated Short Film, Best Animated Feature Length Film, Best Animated Story/Screenplay, Best Voice Performance in Animation, Best Character Design and Overall Best Animation.
The international cinema section includes Best International Film and Best Narrative Film.
The organisers said the wide range of categories reflects RIFF’s determination to recognise not only filmmakers and performers but also the creative, technical and cultural elements that contribute to successful cinema.
“From powerful documentaries and compelling feature films to innovative animation, exceptional performances, technical craftsmanship and films that inspire people to discover new destinations, RIFF 2026 celebrates the many dimensions of filmmaking,” the festival said.
The organisers added that the awards were intended to recognise filmmakers “not only for the stories they tell, but also for the creativity, technical excellence, cultural identity and vision behind those stories.”
They described film tourism as an important component of the festival’s vision, stressing the potential of cinema to showcase destinations, stimulate tourism, create economic opportunities and connect cultures.
“From Africa to the world. From stories to destinations. From film to economic opportunity,” the festival declared.
RIFF urged members of the public and film enthusiasts to visit its RIFF Festivals Facebook page and TikTok handle @riffestivals for details of nominated films and the various award categories.
The festival director, Osunwa Kenneth Chigozie, congratulated the selected filmmakers and nominees and commended the jury for its work throughout the selection process.
Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) 2026
Theme: Film Tourism: A Pathway to Economic Development
Date: October 29 – November 1, 2026
Venue: Bonny Island, Rivers State, Nigeria
RIFF 2026 — Celebrating Cinema. Connecting Cultures. Promoting Destinations.