The Regal Film Festival and Awards (REFFA) announced its nominees for the 2026 edition last night at the Accra Marriott Hotel, putting some of the best of African cinema in the spotlight.
The announcement honors filmmakers from across the continent and the diaspora. A total of 314 submissions from 36 countries were reviewed by the Academy of Screeners and Jury to settle on the deserving nominees. These nominees will compete across categories, including feature films, short films, documentaries, animation, and African language films.
Speaking at the event, Selassie Ibrahim, Executive Director and Founder of REFFA, praised the quality of this year’s entries. “This second edition proves that the caliber of our filmmaking is reaching unstoppable heights,” she said.
REFFA made its debut in 2025, when its awards night at the Palms Convention Centre, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, drew filmmakers, actors, and industry stakeholders from Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, Mauritius, Morocco, and beyond. The festival has since positioned itself as a pan-African hub for creative exchange, combining film screenings, masterclasses, and networking with its glamorous awards gala.
Among this year’s nominees is Kenya’s official submission to the Oscars, One Woman, One Bra.
The festival and its programming under the theme ‘Reimagining Africa: Stories Beyond Borders’ kick off on the 8th of December with the opening ceremony. The winners will be revealed at the 2026 awards night on 12th December 2026 at the Palms Convention Centre, La Palm Royal Beach Hotel. Last year’s Best Picture winner took home a brand-new car, and organizers have hinted at more surprising prizes for 2026 winners.
Beyond the awards, REFFA 2026 will include several industry and cultural events. The REFFA X Blue Pictures Entertainment Content Market will let filmmakers and producers showcase films, television series, documentaries, animation, and digital content through exhibition booths. It will connect them with buyers, distributors, broadcasters, aggregators, and investors.
A dedicated Regal Vault within the market will let producers with completed projects screen their work directly for industry decision-makers, helping them move toward distribution, broadcast, streaming, and international markets. The festival will also host a Make a Deal Forum, where selected creators will pitch their projects to investors, financiers, and other industry partners. For the cultural side of the festival, the REFFA Cultural Night will celebrate African heritage through music, dance, fashion, and food on the 11th of December 2026.
Filmmakers, fans, and industry players can follow REFFA on social media or visit the website for updates, screening information, and festival activities leading up to the big night.
Below Is The Full List Of Nominees:
Best Student Documentary
Shadows of the Past (Ghana)
Fiashidi (Ghana)
Asanti Nyuki (Kenya)
Forged Scrap (Ghana)
Best Student Short Film
Echoes from Home (Ghana)
Her Dark Past (Nigeria)
Rekiya (Nigeria)
Blind Pursuit (United States)
Unfinished Ride (Ghana)
Best Student Animation
Nzo (Ghana)
Smokes and Mirrors (Ghana)
Best YouTube / Web Film
Monica (Nigeria)
Me, You and Luna (Nigeria)
Local Trouble (Nigeria)
A Mother’s Bargain (Nigeria)
Heaven Must Wait (Nigeria)
Trails of Olaide (Nigeria)
Best Short Film
1992 (Kenya)
The House That Never Sleeps (South Africa)
Almost Forever (Ghana)
Dictatrix (Ghana/United States)
Mfuko the Duffle Bag (Uganda)
Jimbi (Uganda)
Ashes of Accra (Ghana)
Best Diasporan Film
Echoes From The Past (United Kingdom)
Dictatrix (United States)
Destination Ghana – PIM (Belgium)
Don’t Whistle at Night (Belgium)
Dreaming of Serenada (Denmark)
Best International Film
The Border (Italy)
Blind Pursuit (United States)
Dhakira (France)
Ancheseliodio (Italy)
Most Promising Actor
Jackline Nafula – Slum Bomber (Uganda)
Gadede Segbefia – No Man of God (Ghana)
Gbubemi Ejeye – Black Pepper (Nigeria)
Michelle Lemuya Ikeny – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
Evangelista Adjei – Amenfi (Ghana)
Larabie Dimzoure – Unvirtous (Burkina Faso)
Simon Peter Walusimbi – Nkinzi (Uganda)
Best Child Actor
Lubowa Mayra Ariana – Nkinzi (Uganda)
Michelle Lemuya Ikeny – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
Joel Liwan – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
Royal Aziomaku – Alechenu (Nigeria)
Averie Dzama – No Man of God (Ghana)
Ijelu Folajimi – Son of the Soil (Nigeria)
Best Animation
Tumi (Ghana)
Lion Gwoza (Nigeria)
The Travials of Ajadi (Nigeria)
Selase’s Adventure (Ghana)
The Rusty Fish (Iran)
Lice And Shine (Uganda)
Best Documentary
Mama Nike: Queen of Adire (Nigeria)
Prisoner in My Mind (South Africa)
We Won’t Let You Poison Us (Ghana)
The Journalist Who Never Came Home (Nigeria)
Shining A Light on Lupus (Uganda)
Best Comedy Film
Vibes – The Movie (Ghana)
Family Brouhaha (Nigeria)
Local Trouble (Nigeria)
Boda Love (Kenya)
Three for Trouble (Nigeria)
Dorathy (Nigeria)
Best TV Series
Damalie (Uganda)
House of Klu (Ghana)
La Coach (Côte d’Ivoire)
Hustle (Nigeria)
With You Every Moment (Ghana)
Big Boys (Ghana)
After The Ashes (Uganda)
Best Debut Film
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Luc Gnepa
Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene
Vibes – The Movie (Ghana) – Nicholas “Big Ghun” Nartey
One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly
Somewhere Near Love (Nigeria) – Gbolahan Gafar
Best Indigenous Language Film
Amenfi (Ghana)
Adui (Uganda)
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria)
Sika Fra Mogya (Ghana)
Best Ghanaian Film
No Man of God
Two
Amenfi
Vibes – The Movie
Achievement in Casting
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Roman Pogorzelski
Two (Ghana) – Nana Gyasi Owusu & Richmond Ofori
No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly
Boda Love (Kenya) – Florence Nduta
Achievement in Costume Design
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Valerie Okeke
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Raymonde Lozo
Two (Ghana) – Aphua Larbi-Amoah
One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu, Fatuo Hassan, Neema Mbeti Ithea
Amenfi (Ghana) – Lucy Opoku
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Vivian Njeri Kimotho
Evi (Nigeria) – Kingsley Okoye Rex
Achievement in Hair & Make-up
Evi (Nigeria) – Tolu Obadipe & Carina Ojoko
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Alakpa Uduoghene Beautifly
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Madjeneba Diomande
Amenfi (Ghana) – Frederick Boateng
Adui (Uganda) – Michael Wawuyo Snr
Heaven Must Wait (Nigeria) – Maureen Ifezue
Achievement in Production Design
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Suuna Abubakar
Amenfi (Ghana) – Emanuel Owusu Sarpong
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Erixon Kangethe
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Franck-Lionel Groude
The Creek (Nigeria) – Toka Mcbaror
Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Ayanmo Yakub
Achievement in Soundtrack
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Apuu Mourine & Amadeus Indetzki
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Gbenga Akinnola
Evi (Nigeria) – Tolu Obanro
Vibes – The Movie (Ghana) – Nicholas “Big Ghun” Nartey
No Man of God (Ghana) – Tito Marshall Gomez
Achievement in Sound
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Roman Pogorzelski
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Adam Songbird
No Man of God (Ghana) – Tito Marshall Gomez
Vibes – The Movie (Ghana) – Nicholas “Big Ghun” Nartey
Two (Ghana) – Ivan Ayitey
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Andrew Ahuurra
Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Tolu Obanro
Achievement in Visual Effects
The Creek (Nigeria)
No Man of God (Ghana) – Peter Kojo Sampah
Black Pepper (Nigeria) – Banjo Ayodele
Colours of Fire (Nigeria)
Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Steve Askey
Achievement in Cinematography
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya, Nigeria) – Klaus Kneist, Mwende Renata
Two (Ghana) – John Kwame Markin
No Man of God (Ghana) – Kelly Doe & Eric Oppong Appiah
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Barnabas Emordi Barny
The Creek (Nigeria) – Tolu Timilehin
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Mandione Laye Ka, Moussa Diallo, Elie Josue Dabire
Evi (Nigeria) – Barnabas Emordi Barny
Achievement in Editing
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Tobias Schmutzler
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Dolapo Adigun
Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Alistair Cave
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Penda Ndiaye
The Creek (Nigeria) – Toka Mcbaror
Two (Ghana) – Mohammed Abdul Majeed
No Man of God (Ghana) – Magdalene Morton
Achievement in Screenplay
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Kevin Schmutzler & Tobias Schmutzler
No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Amadou Koné
Unvirtous (Burkina Faso) – Chloé Aïcha Boro
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Nanfuka Rehema & Musa Luswata
Boda Love (Kenya) – Grace Irungu & Janet Wells
One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu
Best Supporting Actor (Female)
Bamike Olawunmi – No Man of God (Ghana)
Michelle Tiren – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
Maud Guerard – Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire)
Dela Seade – Two (Ghana)
Best Supporting Actor (Male)
Adjetey Anang – No Man of God (Ghana)
Uzor Arukwe – Evi (Nigeria)
Samuel Kabugo – Slum Bomber (Uganda)
Kelechi Udegbe – The Creek (Nigeria)
Ochungo Obiero – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
Senanu Gbedawo – Two (Ghana)
Best Actor (Female)
Michelle Lemuya Ikeny – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)
Gadede Segbefia – No Man of God (Ghana)
Jackline Nafula – Slum Bomber (Uganda)
Uche Montana – Monica (Nigeria)
Armande Lo – Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire)
Osas Ighodaro – Safari (Nigeria)
Sarah Karei – One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria)
Best Actor (Male)
Ephriam Oka Kouakou – Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire)
Majid Michel – No Man of God (Ghana)
Bucci Franklin – The Creek (Nigeria)
Gideon Boakye – Two (Ghana)
Murunyu Duncan Mungai – Boda Love (Kenya)
Fredrick Leonard – Heaven Must Wait (Nigeria)
Emmanuel Mugo – Safari (Nigeria)
Best Director
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Kevin Schmutzler, Tobias Schmutzler
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Luc Gnepa
No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly
One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu
Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Chee Keong Cheung
Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene
Best Picture
Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Caroline Heim, Brizan Were, Lydia Wrensch
No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye
Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Osas Ighodaro
Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Charly Kodjo
One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Josh Olaaluwa, Esther de Rothschild
Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene, Aphua Larbi-Amoah, Louis Lamis, Isaac “Yaw Skyface” Mensah, John “Kwame Black” Markin
Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly
By Tony Asankomah
