Lagos Fringe has unveiled the film programme for its ninth edition, themed ‘Let’s Play’. Screenings will run from November 4–8, 2026, during the wider festival, which runs November 3–8.
The programme features short films and documentaries from Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa, spanning drama, animation, psychological thriller and comedy.
Among the Nigerian selections is Our Side of the Bay, a micro-documentary set in Tarkwa Bay that follows two young friends, Desmond and Preye. The documentary contrasts the island as a leisure destination with the community whose lives carry on after visitors leave.
Èbùn, directed by John Ekeh, centres on Shade, a deaf girl navigating a busy Lagos neighbourhood. Through sign language, observation and the rhythms of the city, it explores identity, disability and belonging.
From South Africa, The Nights Were Velvet, directed by Sara CF Gouveia, follows an actress whose preparation for a deeply personal solo performance brings unresolved experiences to the surface, examining grief, memory and healing.
Uganda’s Bond of Tera, directed by Emma Okello, mixes psychological thriller and supernatural elements in a story about memory, concealed truths and the consequences of past actions.
Other films to be screened include Through Her Lens, ORÚKỌ: The Power of Names, Voices in the Concrete, A Nation of Brutality and The Day They Took Our Light.
In a statement shared by the organisers, Festival Director Kenneth Uphopho said film “allows us to encounter experiences beyond our own and to look more closely at the realities we share.”
The screenings are scheduled as follows, with all times in Lagos local time:
• Wednesday, November 4: 12:00 PM, Collab (Venue 3)
• Thursday, November 5: 12:00 PM, Restaurant Opposite the Ramp (Venue 5)
• Friday, November 6: 4:00 PM, Ideas Lab (Venue 4)
• Saturday, November 7: 12:00 PM, Restaurant Opposite the Ramp (Venue 5)
• Sunday, November 8: 2:00 PM, Ideas Lab (Venue 4)
Programme information and attendee registration are available on the Lagos Fringe website.
