Segun Atanda/
The Africa International Human Rights Film Festival (AIHRFF) is set to make a grand return for its 4th edition, bringing together filmmakers, activists, journalists, policymakers, and culture enthusiasts for a three-day showcase of compelling cinema and conversations that champion justice.
Scheduled for December 8–10, 2025, the festival reaffirms Lagos’ position as a vibrant hub for advocacy-driven entertainment.
Under the theme “Using Films to Bridge Divides,” AIHRFF 2025 aims to expose global patterns of human rights violations and mobilise collective action through powerful storytelling, panel discussions, and master classes.
The festival will run across multiple locations, each offering a unique programme for audiences, creators, and activists:
December 8 & 9 — Panels and Screenings
• Venue (Panels & Opening Activities): 1A Adekunle Owobiyi Close, Opp. Government Quarters Estate, Ogba Phase II, Lagos
According to the organisers, this venue will host high-profile panel sessions featuring human rights defenders, filmmakers, journalists, and policymakers discussing police brutality, corruption, censorship, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), poverty, and repression of free speech.
• Venue (Film Screenings): Freedom Park, Lagos — 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Freedom Park will showcase a curated selection of human rights films, documentaries, and activist-led visual stories aimed at sparking conversations on justice, accountability, and democratic freedoms.
December 10 — Master Classes & Closing Ceremony
• Venue: British Council, 20 Thompson Avenue, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos
The final day includes exclusive master classes designed to train emerging filmmakers and rights advocates, followed by the closeout ceremony aligning with United Nations Human Rights Day and the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Festival Founder and Director, Comrade Kehinde Adegboyega, describes AIHRFF as Africa’s largest gathering of activists and creative professionals dedicated to exposing abuses through film.
He said, “The creators of human rights films are not just filmmakers, they are activists and development advocates using audio-visual storytelling to illuminate places where unimaginable abuses occur. These films serve as powerful evidence for accountability and prosecutorial justice.”
Adegboyega added that AIHRFF’s ecosystem continued to expand through its annual master classes, which equip students, enthusiasts, and practitioners with practical tools for documenting human rights violations.
The announcement was issued by Shakirudeen Bankole, Communications and Strategy Lead for the Human Rights Journalists Network (HRJN), the umbrella body behind the festival.
Bankole emphasised that the 2025 edition reinforces the organisation’s commitment to amplifying underreported injustices and building a continent-wide community of visual activists.
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