The All African Independent Film Festival (AAIFF Africa) is set to return to Kigali from October 10-12, taking place at the French Institute of Rwanda. Now in its second edition, AAIFF Africa will showcase 21 films from 12 countries, competing for 16 awards across 14 categories. The ‘Africa’s Best Independent Film 2025’ stands out as the most prestigious honour of the festival. ALSO READ: Ndabaga The Musical: Star-studded theatre celebrates Rwanda’s heritage, womanhood This year’s edition will feature two Rwandan films competing for the Rwandan Students Special Award, a category previously won by Methode Muhire for his short film D.A.D (Dawn After Darkness). Muhire is returning to the competition with a new entry under the same category for 2025. Among the notable awards to be presented at the 2025 edition to the festival are Africa’s Best Independent Film, Africa’s Best Independent Film Director, Best African Independent Dramatic Short and Best African Independent Dramatic Feature. Others include Best African Independent Animated Film, Best African Independent Student Film, Best African Independent Experimental Film, Best African Independent Music Video, Best Independent Short Script, Best Independent Feature Script, Best Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Actress, Best Actor, and the Rwandan Students Special Award. Along with film screenings, the festival will also have panel talks, and workshops hosted by Scott Hillier, the Founder and President of The European Independent Film Festival (ECU). ECU is the sister festival to the AAIFF and other two festivals including the All Asian and All Americas Independent Film Festivals, discussing topics ranging from how films are made and shared with audiences to the future of African movies. ALSO READ: Ibyahishuwe: A Rwandan drama exploring silence, secrets, and healing Speaking to The New Times, Hillier said that, although the festival receives some support, it operates without direct financial sponsorship, driven instead by a commitment to promoting authentic storytelling. “We get help but we don’t get money and we don’t get sponsors, but we do what we do because it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “We’re trying to make the world a little bit better one independent film at a time by telling authentic stories.” Explaining why Rwanda was chosen to host the festival, Hillier said the decision came after initially considering Cape Town, South Africa. “I was actually going to go to South Africa because I knew Cape Town and its cinema scene is well developed,” Hillier said. “But a colleague I work with at the NBA encouraged me to consider Kigali instead, saying that’s where things are happening. I had previously worked in Rwanda and found the support and enthusiasm from the local audience remarkable. The collaboration with the French Institute of Rwanda made it the ideal venue for AAIFF.” The festival will conclude on Sunday, October 12, with an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements across various categories.
