Filmmaking has long been an expensive pursuit: sets, crews, costumes, and post-production quickly push budgets beyond the reach of many African storytellers. But a new generation of creators is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to break through these barriers.Obinna Okerekeocha, founder of the Naija Artificial Intelligence Film Festival (NAIFF), sees AI as a creative canvas rather than just a cost-saving tool.
Since experimenting with RunwayML and Midjourney in 2022, he has envisioned AI as a force to democratize filmmaking across Africa.
According to a 2024 DLA Piper Africa survey, 35% of Nigerian film professionals already use generative AI, with another 35% considering adoption. This reflects a sector ripe for disruption: Africa’s film and audiovisual industries generated $5 billion and 5 million jobs in 2023, with the potential to quadruple both.Scheduled for September 13, 2025, in Lagos, NAIFF has already attracted over 490 submissions from Nigeria, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroon, and beyond. Modeled after Cannes and Toronto’s global showcases, the festival aims to elevate AI-driven storytelling and connect African creators with international peers.
AI’s rise has also sparked controversy. Concerns over plagiarism, job displacement, and dataset bias loom large. In response, NAIFF is hosting panels on ethics, attribution, fair compensation, and the dangers of deepfakes. The festival also advocates for African-built tools trained on local cultures and languages.
For Okerekeocha, AI is about more than efficiency, it’s about soft power. Just as Hollywood shaped global perceptions of America, AI filmmaking can allow Africans to “dream the future we want to see,” from futuristic skylines to reimagined histories.
Over the next five years, NAIFF plans to train thousands of AI filmmakers, incubate startups, and push AI-generated films into traditional cinemas. For its founder, this isn’t just a festival. “This is in perpetuity. It’s our life’s work.”
