AFRIFF to Open with RHYTHMS OF THE CONTINENT — THE AFROBEATS FILM MOVEMENT

Opening Night features 3 Cold Dishes (executive produced by Burna Boy) and a programme that celebrates the sound, score and star-powered storytelling reshaping African cinema
Lagos, Nigeria —

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) announces that this year’s festival will open on Sunday, 2 November 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria, with the launch of the festival theme RHYTHMS OF THE CONTINENT — THE AFROBEATS FILM MOVEMENT. The programme explores the rhythmic weave of African storytelling — where music, scoring and sound design are central creative forces — and highlights the growing impact of Afrobeats artists on contemporary filmmaking.
AFRIFF will open with the highly anticipated crime thriller 3 Cold Dishes, directed by Asurf Oluseyi (co-directed with Apolline Traoré) and executive produced by Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy. 3 Cold Dishes follows three women, trafficked as young girls and reunited years later, who set out to take down the powerful men who destroyed their lives — a tense, music-infused story of justice, resilience and retribution.

The festival’s programme also features in-depth feature documentaries on global Afrobeats figures Wizkid and Flavour, signaling a broader trend: music stars are increasingly shaping screen narratives — producing, commissioning scores, financing projects and participating on-screen — while African filmmakers and composers place sound at the centre of cinematic experience.

About the Opening Filmmaker — Asurf Oluseyi
Asurf Oluseyi is a Lagos-based producer/director and founder of Asurf Films. His debut feature Hakkunde earned wide critical acclaim and international awards, and his work has streamed on major platforms.

Asurf’s documentary work chronicling headline Afrobeats tours and performances gives him unique insight into the intersection of African music and cinema, making him a pivotal figure for a programme that foregrounds rhythm and sound.

In a statement introducing this years programme, The founder and festival Chioma Ude remarked “Rhythms are how our stories move — they mark memory, resistance and joy. This year’s programme, Rhythms of the Continent, celebrates the ways music is rewriting our cinema: Afrobeats artists are stepping behind and in front of the camera, commissioning films, and partnering with stellar composers and sound designers who are changing how audiences experience our stories. Opening in Lagos on November 2 with 3 Cold Dishes, we honour that creative momentum — the beats, the scores and the voices that are expanding African storytelling for the world.”

Additional Festival Highlights
• Feature-length documentaries spotlighting Wizkid and Flavour, charting musical journeys and their cultural impact.
• A curated selection of narrative features and shorts that emphasize scoring, sound design and music-driven storytelling.
• Industry sessions, masterclasses and panels on film scoring, music-to-screen financing, artist-led production models and technical craft in sound.
Full programme, venue, ticketing and accreditation details will be released in the coming weeks. For media enquiries, interview requests or accreditation information, please contact the AFRIFF press office below.

About AFRIFF
Founded in 2010, the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is dedicated to elevating African cinema, nurturing new talent and creating global opportunities for filmmakers across the continent and the diaspora. AFRIFF combines screenings with markets, masterclasses and industry events to strengthen the wider ecosystem of African storytelling.