The Africa Film Finance Forum (AFFF) is set to return this September with a bold agenda to unlock the continent’s $20 billion film economy, positioning storytelling as a strategic tool for economic transformation.
Scheduled for September 16–18, 2025, in Lagos, the AFFF will convene key stakeholders across Africa’s creative, financial, and public sectors to drive conversations on monetizing the continent’s rich storytelling tradition through structured financing and policy alignment.
Held under the theme: “Pan-African film economy: Building a $20 billion industry for 1.4 billion people,” the forum seeks to address the structural challenges limiting Africa’s film sector, including informality, under-capitalization, and lack of institutional infrastructure.
“Storytelling began in Africa. Our myths, oral histories, and traditions have always been foundational,” said Mary Ephraim-Egbas, Convener of AFFF.
“But to compete globally, Africa must move beyond telling stories to monetizing them by industrializing the film sector and positioning African content as both heritage and high-value export.”
The forum will feature an investor’s room & deal table, where selected filmmakers with pre-qualified projects will pitch directly to financiers, as well as certified finance training for banks and investors to understand film as a viable asset class.
AFFF 2025 also includes high-level policy dialogues on integrating film into national development strategies, showcasing Africa’s diverse filming locations for tourism and investment, and spotlighting innovations in production, transparency, and distribution.
Co-Chair of the AFFF PR and Strategic Communications Committee, Bolaji Abimbola, underscored the economic significance of the initiative.
“Unlocking a $20 billion industry starts with recognising film as infrastructure, creative, economic, and strategic,” he stated.
Read also:
- Tinubu’s govt set to revive Ajaokuta Steel Plant, create jobs, boost Nigeria’s economy
- Nigerian economy characterised by growth without development -Don
- Nigeria’s creative economy to create 500,000 jobs by 2030, as Minister unveils sectoral reforms, scorecard
Clarina De Freitas, fellow Co-Chair, emphasized the global potential of African narratives.
“This is Africa’s creative century. Our stories are our leverage, but only when matched with financing, distribution, and institutional credibility.”
Africa’s film industry, from Nollywood to emerging cinemas in East and Francophone Africa, continues to shape global pop culture.
Yet, despite its influence, it remains largely informal, limiting access to capital and scale.
By bridging the gap between creatives and capital, AFFF aims to catalyze a new era of investment, job creation, exports, and digital transformation across the continent’s film value chain
