Nigerian filmmakers have an open route into the fourth Alternativa Film Festival, whose organisers began accepting entries on 29 October 2026. The festival is planned for Africa in late 2027. This is an ongoing opportunity, not an announcement that Nigeria has been chosen to host it or that any Nigerian entry has already won.
The published rules explicitly include Nigeria among eligible countries. Feature films can come from directors connected to Africa, Asia or Latin America, while short-film entries are reserved for directors connected to Africa. Eligible connections include citizenship, birth, residence or a substantial demonstrable personal, cultural, professional or creative connection. Co-directed films need at least one qualifying director.
Entries are free and close on 1 March 2027. The organisers accept fiction, documentaries, animation and films combining different forms, but the work must be completed after 1 January 2026. A project still in production is not eligible. Applicants should use the FilmFreeway link on Alternativa’s own website and check the complete rules before submitting.
The application must be in English. Films made in other languages need English subtitles embedded in the submitted video. Required materials include a viewing copy, film stills, a poster, director information, crew details and an impact form. That form asks filmmakers to explain the social change their work has achieved or could support; artistic quality also matters in selection.
The announced fund totals US$120,000 across seven awards. Five prizes are worth US$20,000 each and two short-film prizes US$10,000 each. The Focus Award and both short-film awards are reserved for African filmmakers. These are competitive prizes: submitting a film does not guarantee selection, an award or a distribution agreement.
The organisers say the host country will be announced by 31 December 2026, with the city and exact dates due by 28 February 2027. They also say one representative of each competition film will receive travel and hotel support, with priority for the director. Those arrangements concern selected films, and remain future commitments rather than benefits already delivered.