Nominees for the coveted prize awards of Zuma International Film Festival (ZIFF) 2025, Nigeria’s foremost national film festival has been announced. In a statement issued on Thursday December 4th, 2025 in Abuja and signed by Brian Etuk, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Film Corporation, organisers of the film festival, the nominees emerged after a rigorous exercise undertaken by the nine-member festival jury.
According to the statement, AWARD categories of ZUMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025 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.
In the statement, the following emerged as nominees: BEST ANIMATION – THE TRAVAILS OF AJADI (Directed by Adeoye Adetunji – Nigerian, THE SPIRIT OF DAMBE (Directed by Mark Eyesan – Nigeria, and LEARNING SWORDMANSHIP (Directed By Meixiao Yang – China); BEST DOCUMENTARY – THE STREET NOW MY NAME (Directed By Eghosa Sarah Ifidon –United Kingdom), RE-ACTIVATE (Directed By Perek Eme W. Odon – Nigeria),THE CASHEW RAIN (Directed By Alan Schvarsberg –Brazil); BEST PICTURE – FINDING NINA (Directed By Famous Eghosa Sarah Ifidon –United Kingdom), THE MAN DIED – (Directed By Awam Ampkpa – Nigeria, WHEN WOLVES CRY (Directed By Emmanuel Eyuba – Nigerian); BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – THE MAN DIED – (Directed By Awam Ampkpa – Nigeria), WHEN WOLVES CRY (Directed By Emmanuel Eyuba – (Nigeria), FINDING NINA (Directed By Famous Eghosa Sarah Ifidon – Nigeria); BEST SOUND – FINDING NINA (Directed By Famous Eghosa Sarah Ifidon –Nigeria), DON’T LOOK AT ME (Directed By Natasha Atab – Brazil), DUBITO (Directed By Daniyal Mahmoud –IRAN); BEST COSTUME- THE MAN DIED – (Directed By Awam Ampkpa – Nigeria), LION DANCE (Directed By – Taiwan), ÌṢẸ́ (PENURY) (Directed By Omobolanle Ayankumbi – Nigerian).
Others, the released further stated, are – BEST ACTOR – ABDULAZEEM M. IBRAHIM (Finding Nina – Nigerian), WALE OJO (The Man Died – Nigerian), SADIK AHMED – (Kakanda – D Nigeria); BEST SUPPORTNG ACTOR – LADI CHIMA – (Kakanda – Nigeria), ZARA UDOFIA EJOH (The Man Died); SYDNEY EMADE (When Wolves Cry – Nigeria); BEST ACTRESS – SYDNEY EMADE (When Wolves Cry– (Nigeria), IJAPARI BEN-HIRKI (Finding Nina) AMINA SHEHU – (Kak Anda –Nigerian); BEST YORUBA FILM – ÌṢẸ́
(PENURY) – Directed By Omobolanle Ayankumbi – Nigerian, SCAR – (Directed By Willams Ajeh Ameh – Nigeria); BEST HAUSA FILM – KAKANDA – Directed By Toa Mc Baror – Nigeria), MOUNTIAN OF GOLD – (Directed By Roland – France), SAMARI – (Directed By Felix Bankole – Nigerian); BEST IGBO FILM – ROAD TO HELL (Directed By Kelechi Emmanuel Oritsheti), STAGE OF LIFE – (Directed By Emmanuel Oritsheti); BEST INDIGENOUS NIGERIAN FILM – ÌṢẸ́ (PENURY) – (Directed By Omobolanle Ayankumbi – Nigerian), KAKANDA – Directed By Toa Mc Baror – Nigeria), SAMARI – (Directed By Felix Bankole – Nigerian); BEST FOREIGN FILM – DON’T LOOK AT ME (Directed By Natasha Atab – Brazil), CARRACEDO – (Directed By Manuel Lucas Marino – Spain), FLYING WITH FINS – (Directed By Maria Averina); BEST DIRECTOR – AWAM AMKPA – THE MAN DIED –- Nigeria, FAMOUS ODION IRAOYA – FINDING NINA – Nigerian, KARIMAH OMOBOLANLE AYANKUNBI – ISE – Nigeria; BEST SHORT FILM- MARIES AMBITION – (Directed By Manu Fernandez – Spain), DUBITO –- (Directed By Daniyal Mahmoudinia- Iran), INES – Mireia Massague – Spain; BEST MUSIC VIDEO – ANIMALS FREEDOM – Directed By Nacho Recio – Spain, GLOBAL CYPHER – Directed By Dragos Plesa And Paul Dragos – Romania, LOVE:WAR – Directed By David Woulard And Tyler Parks – United States of America; BEST SKIT – THE GIRL FROM TOMORROW – Directed By Wei Chun Jen – Taiwan, LION DANCE – Directed By 禹呈 林yu Chenglin – Taiwan, HOME AWAY – Directed By Cheniliang Wang – China; BEST STUDENT FILM – MOIPONE:MARRIAGE BY ABDUCTION LESOTHO – Directed By Albert Khama, BIRD TO BE ALIVE – Directed By Mathieu Andre Anais Besost Francos Fontaire Rowan Rosencourt And Valentin Rosset – France, PASS – Directed By Noushin Safari – Iran; and BEST CHILDREN FILM -. BURIAL (Iran) – Directed by Mohammad Rezaei & Mohammad Moradi, BEULA (India) Directed by B Suresh Kumar and GARY THE GREAT (USA)- Directed by Eva V. Komarov.
Etuk, in the statement said that 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.
