𝑰𝑴𝑶𝑰𝑭𝑭 2026 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒔 𝑭𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑮𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒛 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔

OWERRI, Nigeria — The red carpet will return, but that is not the real story this time. The IMOIFF Creatives and Film Festival, previously called the Imo International Film Festival, has fixed November 26 to 28, 2026, for its third edition in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The festival, put together with Julob Entertainment, says it wants to do more than show films. This year, the focus is on giving young creatives the skills and connections to earn a living from their talent.

That decision was shaped by a reality many young Nigerians know too well having big ideas but little money or support to bring them to life.

To capture that fighting spirit, the organisers chose Kwechiri as theme. It is an Igbo word that means to stay strong and refuse to give up. It is summed up in the festival slogan: "Keep Going. Keep Creating. Keep Becoming."

The founder of the festival, filmmaker Izu Okafor, said the theme was chosen because it mirrors what young creatives go through every day. According to him, the industry is tough and competitive, but IMOIFF is telling every young dreamer to stand firm. He added that beyond the glamour, the 2026 edition is about building real careers and taking Owerri's creative energy to the global stage.

This year's programme will blend entertainment with learning and culture. Guests should expect film screenings, local story showcases, hands-on training and conversations with industry leaders.

One major attraction will be indigenous storytelling. The festival will highlight original projects like UDU, IKENGA and ONYE IJE / THE TRAVELLER, which celebrate Igbo history, language and identity.

At the centre of it all is the Creative Training Academy. Run together with the Department of Theatre Arts and the Department of Film and Multimedia Studies at Imo State University, the academy will train around 200 young people in acting, scriptwriting, editing, cinematography and digital content creation.

The sessions will be led by respected voices in culture and film, including Ogechi Obilonu, popularly known as Nwanyi Owerri, veteran director Steve Ahanonu, creative industry consultant Frances Otuechere and Omenyi Christopher, known as Ozu Nollywood, along with other professionals.

With its Owerri-to-the-World vision, the festival is making a case for Imo State as not just a place to watch entertainment, but a place to create it, build businesses around it and share its heritage with the world.

The three-day event will take place across several venues in Owerri, which will be announced by the organisers in due course.

For registration click here.

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