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S16 Film Festival.

Five editions of independent African cinema

Cultural Programming · Lagos · 2021 – 2025

With the Surreal16 Collective · Production partner: AWCA

Fig. 01, S16 Film FestivalVideo · Tunde KelaniLagos

Project Overview

Since 2021, A Whitespace Creative Arts (AWCA) Foundation has been a founding collaborator and production partner of the S16 Film Festival, working alongside the Surreal16 Collective to build one of Africa's leading platforms for independent and arthouse cinema. Created as an alternative to mainstream film culture, the festival celebrates bold cinematic voices, experimental storytelling, and new ways of engaging with African film through screenings, exhibitions, conversations, installations, and public programming.

As production partner, AWCA works closely with the festival team to translate each year's curatorial vision into an immersive public experience. From exhibition builds and spatial design to festival production, visitor journeys, and audience experience, our role has been to create environments where cinema extends beyond the screen and becomes a space for dialogue, discovery, and cultural exchange.

02§ Editions

Edition

2021

Inaugural Edition

The inaugural edition introduced S16 as a new home for African arthouse cinema. Inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, the festival featured a monumental monolith installation alongside screenings of short and feature-length films from across Africa and the diaspora, transforming the Old Federal Printing Press into an immersive gathering place for filmmakers and audiences. AWCA supported the festival's first production, helping establish the visual and experiential language that would define future editions.

Edition

2022

A Tribute to Tunde Kelani

The second edition looked inward, celebrating the history of Nigerian cinema through a retrospective dedicated to Tunde Kelani. Combining exhibitions, screenings, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, the festival reflected on the legacy of one of Nigeria's most influential filmmakers while continuing to showcase contemporary African independent cinema. AWCA led production across the festival's expanded programme, supporting an edition that bridged generations of filmmaking.

Edition

2023

To God Be the Glory

Exploring the theme To God Be the Glory, the festival celebrated optimism, resilience, and community through a programme of African and international films, filmmaker dialogues, and interactive installations. Storyboard walls and public conversations encouraged audiences to engage with the creative process, reinforcing S16's commitment to nurturing emerging filmmakers alongside presenting exceptional cinema. AWCA continued its role as production partner, helping shape a festival experience that was as participatory as it was cinematic.

Edition

2024

Technologics

The 2024 edition examined the relationship between technology and African filmmaking. Under the theme Technologics, screenings, exhibitions, masterclasses, and panel discussions explored how emerging technologies are expanding cinematic language and opening new possibilities for storytelling. AWCA supported the delivery of the festival's ambitious programme, producing a cohesive experience that brought together filmmakers, artists, and audiences around the future of African cinema.

Edition

2025

Let There Be Light

Marking five years of the festival, Let There Be Light reflected on the remarkable evolution of African cinema in recent years. Through screenings, discussions, and immersive experiences, the edition explored how technological innovation, changing audiences, and a new generation of filmmakers have reshaped storytelling across the continent. As a founding collaborator, AWCA continued to produce the festival, supporting another milestone in S16's ongoing journey as a platform for independent African cinema.

Gallery

Scenes from the festival.