Cannes 2026: NIFS, Nile Entertainment Partner on Focus on Africa Conference

Vanessa Obioha

The Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS) and Nile Entertainment have announced a partnership to host the Focus on Africa Conference at the Marché du Film, the official market of the 79th Cannes Film Festival.

Scheduled for May 13, 2026, the conference is positioned within the Marché’s formal programme. It will place African cinema directly within the global marketplace for acquisition, financing, and distribution, where the highest concentration of industry decision-makers operates.

The partnership combines NIFS’s established access to international film markets with Nile Entertainment’s operational reach across content development, production, and distribution, creating a direct pathway from African storytelling to global deal flow.

For Nigeria, whose film industry has spent decades building the creative and commercial infrastructure to compete globally, this conference represents a formal arrival at that table.

“The Focus on Africa Conference exists because African cinema deserves to be negotiated at the same table as the rest of the world’s content,” said Ijeoma Onah, the convenor of the Nigerian International Film Summit. “Marché du Film is that table. Each year, we return with stronger projects, stronger partners, and a clearer mandate. 2026 is our most deliberate programme yet.”

As part of the Creative Africa Content Pavilion, the African Animation Investors Pitch will feature ‘ORAYA’ by AnimaxFYB Studios. The Best of Africa Projects Pitch will present ‘The Herd,’ directed and produced by Daniel Etim-Effiong and carrying nine AMVCA nominations, and ‘To Adaego With Love,’ written and produced by Brenda Ogbukaa-Garuba.

The programme also includes the Best of African Films Showcase in partnership with Afrofilms UK, an African Film Professionals Networking Lunch, and a trailer unveiling for ‘The Jaru Road,’ directed by Kenneth Gyang.

On what Nile Entertainment expects from the conference, Chief Executive Officer Moses Babatope said “The global appetite for African stories is established. What has been missing is the infrastructure to convert that demand into deals, distribution, and sustained commercial relationships. That is what this partnership with NIFS is designed to build.”

The Focus on Africa Conference is open to accredited Marché du Film delegates attending the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, bringing African creators and global buyers into direct commercial engagement.