Nigerian filmmaker Dika Ofoma has announced that his short film Tooth, currently in post-production, has been selected for Final Cut: New African Shorts, a joint programme of Locarno Open Doors and Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, in a post on his Instagram account.
The selection adds to a growing run of international recognition.
Ofoma’s debut short film, A Japa Tale (2023), examines emigration through the story of a young couple. His second short, God’s Wife (2024), explores widowhood and won the Rising Star Award at S16 Film Festival in Lagos. The film also screened at the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in the Netherlands in 2025.
His subsequent work has continued to gain international recognition. Kachifo (2025), his feature project with Zikoko Life, was selected for Locarno Open Doors. Obi Is a Boy (2025) won the inaugural AFP Critics Prize at S16 Film Festival and made its European premiere at the 2026 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
In January 2026, Ofoma was also selected as one of 200 participants for Berlinale Talents 2026.
In a recent Instagram post, the filmmaker revealed that he wrote Tooth on a flight back to Lagos in April 2025. He noted that the story and its characters continued to develop as he worked on the project.
The film remains in post-production. Ofoma acknowledged his team’s contributions, including executive producer El Divine, cinematographer Grandville, and the post-production crew.
The filmmaker has not yet announced a release date or further festival plans for Tooth. Its selection for Final Cut: New African Shorts marks another milestone in his growing career, providing an opportunity to present the project to international film industry professionals.
The programme will take place on November 5, 2026, during the 30th Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur in Switzerland. Four selected filmmakers will present their projects, and one will have the opportunity to participate in the 2027 Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner | Rendez-vous Industry.
Photo: Dika Ofuoma / Instagram
