The Rivers International Film Festival (RIFF) 2026 has unveiled its award categories, with 3,021 film submissions received from filmmakers across Africa and other parts of the world, underscoring the festival’s growing international reach.
The festival, scheduled to hold from October 29 to November 1 on Bonny Island, Rivers State, will recognise excellence in filmmaking, storytelling, acting, animation, technical production, documentary filmmaking and film tourism.
According to a statement signed by the Festival Director, Osunwa Kenneth Chigozie, the 2026 edition received 3,021 submissions, from which 356 films were selected and 136 nominated for awards, with 182 countries represented.
The festival announced that the awards would span various aspects of filmmaking, including technical craftsmanship, creative direction, performances and the use of cinema to promote tourism destinations.
Among the general and technical categories are Best Props, Best African Film, Best Make-up/Special Effects, Best Film for Tourism Promotion, Best Film Location and Best Costume.
The documentary categories include Best Documentary Title, Best Documentary Story, Best Sound Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Director and Overall Best Documentary.
For feature-length productions, the awards include Best Story, Best Sound Design, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Director, Best Short Film and Overall Best Film.
The acting categories comprise Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor and Best Actress, while the animation section features awards for Best Animation 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.
Other categories include Best International Film and Best Narrative Film.
The festival said the awards were designed to recognise filmmakers for their creative vision, technical expertise, cultural expression and ability to tell compelling stories that resonate with audiences.
With the theme, “Film Tourism: A Pathway to Economic Development,” RIFF 2026 seeks to highlight the role of cinema in promoting destinations, showcasing cultural heritage and creating economic opportunities through tourism.
The statement said the festival’s vision extended beyond celebrating cinematic achievements to connecting cultures and encouraging the discovery of destinations through film.
“From Africa to the world. From stories to destinations. From film to economic opportunity,” the festival said in its announcement.
RIFF congratulated the selected filmmakers and nominees and commended its jury for their work in the selection and nomination process.
The festival directed members of the public to its Facebook page, RIFF Festivals, and TikTok handle, @riffestivals, for details of nominated films and their respective categories.
The four-day festival will hold on Bonny Island, an oil-producing community in Rivers State, from October 29 to November 1, 2026.