Zuma Int’l Film Festival Unveils Award Nominees

The Zuma International Film Festival (ZIFF) 2025 has announced the nominees for its coveted prize awards.

Director of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Film Corporation, Brian Etuk, noted that the nominees emerged after a rigorous exercise undertaken by the nine-member festival jury.

The category includes Best Picture Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Animation/Cartoon, Best Actress/Supporting Actress, Best Actor/Supporting Actor, Best Documentary, Best Foreign Film, Best Student Film, Best Sound, Best Costume, Best Indigenous Films (Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo & any other indigenous film), Best Short Film, Best Skit, and Best Music Video, among others.

Sydney Emade in When Wolves Cry, Ijapari Ben-Hirki in  Finding Nina, Amina Shehu in Kak Anda got nominations in the Best Actress category

Wale Ojo in The Man Died, Abdulazeem M. Ibrahim in Finding Nina and Sadik Ahmed in Kakanda were nominated in the Best Actor category.

Ladi Chima in Kakanda, Zara Udofia-Ejoh in The Man Died, and Sydney Emade got nominations in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Awam Amkpa in The Man Died, Famous Odion Iraoya in Finding Nina, Karimah Omobolanle Ayankunbi in Ise, nominated in the Best Director category

The Travails of Ajadi, The Spirit of Dambe and Learning Swordmanship got nominated in the Best Animation category.

The Street Now My Name, Re-activate and The Cashew Rain in the Best Documentary category, The Man Died, When Wolves Cry, and Finding Nina were nominated for Best Cinematography.

The Man Died, Lion Dance, and Ise (Penury) got nominated in the Best Costume category.

Kakanda, Mountain OF GOLD, Samari in the Best Hausa Film category

All the winners will be announced at the closing ceremony/awards night of the festival, scheduled to take place tomorrow, December 5th, 2025, at the Chida Hotels & Events Centre, Abuja, Nigeria.

The other categories include Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Igbo Film, Best Indigenous Nigerian Film, Best Foreign Film, Best Short Film, Best Music Video, Best Skit, Best Student Film, and Best Children’s Film.