Africa’s top event for independent cinema, AAIFF Africa – The All African Independent Film Festival announces its 2025 award-winning film, including its highest honour, “Africa’s Best Independent Film”.
We were thrilled to have for the first edition of the festival a hybrid festival model, being able to see the joy in filmmakers’ and film-lovers’ eyes and reaching a broader audience through an online version of the festival. With 21 films from 16 countries participating in the festival this year, AAIFF Africa 2025 ended its indie-packed festival with its established final ceremony recognising 16 award winners in 10 categories.
AAIFF Africa aims to help launch and expand the careers of many talented independent filmmakers. The Festival is extremely proud to assist these passionately driven artists who create incredible cinema without the benefits of large production budgets. AAIFF Africa’s mission to discover and promote extraordinary independent films from Africa renders it a major African cultural event.
LISTED BELOW IS THE FULL LIST OF AAIFF AFRICA 2025 WINNERS:
| Africa’s Best Independent Film 2025 | The Yellow Dress | Director: Caroline Odongo |
| Africa’s Best Independent Film Director 2025 | Wrong Way | Director: Nana Kofi Asihene |
| Best Cinematography 2025 | Aicha | Cinematographer: Oskar Jan Król |
| Best Editing 2025 | Lettre à ma fille | Editor: Michael Maurissens |
| Best Actress 2025 | Aicha | Actress: Hind Dafer |
| Best Actor 2025 | The Yellow Dress | Actor: Xavier Ywaya |
| Africa’s Best Independent Dramatic Feature Film 2025 | Sarah | Director: Nick Reding |
| Africa’s Best Independent Dramatic Short Film 2025 | Love & Jollof | Director: Ramesh Jai Gulabrai |
| Africa’s Best Independent Documentary 2025 | 10 Toes Down | Director: Ian Gituku |
| Africa’s Best Independent Animated Film 2025 | Dawn | Director: Gary Telly Jeannot |
| Africa’s Best Independent Student Film 2025 | V’s Secret | Bassma Farah |
| Africa’s Best Independent Experimental Film 2025 | Déjà Nu | Director: Rolf Hellat |
| Best Independent Feature Script 2025 | Date Night | Writer: Ghislain Iradukunda |
| Special Jury Mention | Kieupe | Director: Mélanie K. Zawadi |
| Special Jury Mention | Nyiragitwa: Daughter of Sacyega | Director: Fiston Mudacumura |
| Rwandan Students Special Award 2025 | So Called Friend | Director: Methode Muhire |
