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Filmmaker Kunle Afolayan’s KAP SOPA Pan African Filmmaking Bootcamp is set to conclude with the graduation of 20 young filmmakers from Benin Republic.
The 12-week programme will wrap up with a graduation ceremony and the premiere of short films created by the participants during their training.
The event is scheduled to take place at the KAP Film Village and Resort in Nigeria and will bring together professionals and stakeholders from across the African film industry.
Among those expected at the closing activities are Oscar-nominated filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, film curator and festival director Keith Shiri, filmmaker and media entrepreneur Femi Odugbemi, as well as international producer Virginie Besson Silla.
Government officials, diplomats, cultural representatives, mentors and other industry figures from Nigeria, Benin and other African countries are also expected to attend.
The bootcamp is the product of a partnership between Afolayan’s KAP Film and Television Academy and the Government of the Republic of Benin, represented by its audiovisual agency, SOPA.
The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier in 2026, with the goal of developing filmmaking skills and encouraging stronger connections within Africa’s audiovisual sector.
Twenty participants were selected from Benin for the fully sponsored programme. Their training started in Cotonou, where they spent four weeks receiving theoretical instruction before travelling to Nigeria for practical sessions and film production.
The programme, which began in June, carries the theme “Owning the Narrative” and provides training across several areas of filmmaking.
Participants have received instruction in screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, editing and other elements involved in bringing film projects to life.
For Afolayan, the initiative is intended to encourage filmmakers to see opportunities beyond individual national film markets.
He described the partnership as an effort to combine Beninese artistic heritage with Nigeria’s established production environment while promoting a stronger sense of connection across the continent.
The graduation will also provide the platform for the unveiling of ITAN, The Screen Gathering and Awards, a proposed annual pan-African film conference expected to launch in 2027.
According to the filmmaker, ITAN will create a regular forum for conversations around important issues affecting African cinema, including film financing, distribution of press releases, policy harmonisation and technological development.
The KAP Film and Television Academy has listed September 18, 2026, as the official closing date for the bootcamp, while the graduation ceremony and student film premiere are scheduled for September 17 and 18.
The initiative marks another effort to create opportunities for emerging filmmakers while strengthening professional and creative exchanges between Nigeria and other African countries.
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