Open call: CANEX Shorts 2025 for young African filmmakers

Who can apply?

Young filmmakers aged 18 to 35, based in Africa, the diaspora, or the Caribbean, are invited to submit a short film of no more than five minutes. Submissions are open in three categories:

• Best Fiction
• Best Documentary
• Best Animation

Each winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize of $2 000, and have the chance to showcase their work at CANEX during the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), set to take place in Algiers, Algeria, from 4 to 10 September 2025.

Eligibility criteria:

• Films must have been produced in 2023 or later.
• Submissions can be in any language.
• Only one film per filmmaker is permitted.
• Filmmakers must own full rights to the submitted work.

How to submit:

Entries must be submitted via FilmFreeway. A selection committee will shortlist 30 films — ten per category — to be judged by a panel of respected film experts from across Africa.

Deadline: Early application is encouraged. Finalists and winners will be announced and screened at CANEX @ IATF2025.

Why enter?

Beyond the cash award, winning filmmakers will gain:

• International exposure for their work.
• A screening opportunity at one of the largest gatherings of creatives on the continent.
• Direct access to investors, producers, and creative industry leaders.

Previous winners:

At CANEX WKND 2024, standout films included:

• Silent Screams by Esenaga Mbwe (Botswana) – Best Fiction
• We Shall Not Forget by Brian Obra (Kenya) – Best Documentary
• Room-5 by Francis Y. Brown (Ghana) – Best Animation

Special Mentions were awarded to Vodoun Nouminssin and Rain Is Not the Cloud’s Last Parade for exceptional quality.

“Africa’s film industry is valued at over $5 billion and bursting with potential,” executive vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank Kanayo Awani said. “CANEX Shorts is part of our mission to elevate African storytelling and bring our cultural narratives to a global stage.”

Register to attend CANEX at IATF2025 for free.