Òkolà, a film by Nigerian director Paul Lasisi, won the award for best independent film at the All African Independent Film Festival (AAIFF Africa) which concluded at the Centre Culturel Francophone du Rwanda in Kigali on Saturday.

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Òkolà follows a woman whose facial tribal marks threaten her ambition to become a journalist. It was inspired by a conversation with Lasisi’s elder sister, who told him she planned to undergo laser surgery to remove her tribal marks. As a child, he had wondered why she had them while other family members did not, but she had never explained them to him.

Her decision prompted him to research the cultural, historical and spiritual reasons behind the marks, leading him to make Òkolà, which explores the stigma and discomfort people with facial markings can face.

"I made the film because I wanted to talk about something deeply personal to myself,” Lasisi said.

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The festival brought together 19 films from 14 countries, including eight female African independent directors. It featured screenings and masterclasses led by founder Scott Hillier on developing ideas into screenplays, using light and camera movement, and preparing shoots with actors and crews.

Hillier said African filmmakers were increasingly moving away from copying established film industries such as Nollywood, Bollywood and Hollywood to develop stories rooted in their own experiences.

"They’re telling their stories from within. And that’s where all of Africa is going to win,” he said.

Hillier, who has run the European Independent Film Festival in Paris for 22 years, said the African festival was part of his effort to discover and promote independent films internationally.

"If I can give their films an audience, I’ve won,” he said.

For Lasisi, winning the award was encouraging because he had not made Òkolà with commercial success or audience appeal in mind. Its reception showed him that viewers were willing to engage with African films, including stories that might be considered niche or unusual.

He said filmmakers should not wait for outsiders to tell African stories on their behalf.

"If Africans do not tell their stories, Africa will soon be forgotten,” Lasisi said, citing filmmaker Ousmane Sembène.

He added that improving filmmaking quality and building collaborations across countries could help African stories reach wider audiences without changing whose experiences they represent.

For Rwandan filmmaker, screenwriter and actor David Serugo, a student at East African University Rwanda, the festival offered an opportunity to learn and imagine new possibilities for his career.

Serugo said African stories could help international audiences understand the continent beyond persistent portrayals of conflict. He wants to show Africa’s present-day realities, including its peace, security and beauty, and the stories behind its people and culture.

"Many people know that Africa is always in problems, always in the fighting,” he said. "As a filmmaker, I want to show the world what Africa we really have.”