Regal Film Festival and Awards Announces 2026 Nominee List

The Regal Film Festival and Awards (REFFA) announced its nominees for the second edition at the Accra Marriott Hotel on October 9, 2026.

Hosted under the theme Reimagining Africa: Stories Beyond Borders, the festival will open on December 8, 2026, with winners announced on December 12 at the Palms Convention Centre.

This year’s awards drew 314 film submissions from 36 countries. REFFA will recognize filmmakers from Africa and the diaspora across categories including feature films, short films, animation, documentaries, and African language films.

Ghanaian projects earned 58 nominations across 21 films. Standout entries include No Man of God with 17 nods, Two with 13 nominations, Amenfi with six, and Vibes: The Movie with five. Other Ghanaian films were selected in categories such as Animation, Short Films, Documentary, African Language, TV Series, and Student Films.

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Selassie Ibrahim, Executive Director and Founder of REFFA, applauded the quality and ambitions of the this years film entries during her speech at the event.

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“This second edition proves that the calibre of our filmmaking is reaching unstoppable heights”, she said.

The Regal Film Festival and Awards (REFFA) will expand beyond screenings this year with a slate of industry and cultural events.

The REFFA X Blue Pictures Entertainment Content Market will give filmmakers and producers the chance to showcase their work through exhibition booths. A  Regal Vault within the market will allow producers with completed projects to screen directly for industry decision‑makers,.

The festival will also host a Make a Deal Forum, where selected filmmakers will pitch projects to investors in pursuit of financial backing.

On the cultural side, the Regal Film Festival and Awards Cultural Night will celebrate African heritage through music, food, dance, and authentic fashion on December 11, 2026, underscoring the festival’s commitment to blending industry engagement with cultural expression.

Best Student Documentary 

Shadows of the Past (Ghana)

Fiashidi (Ghana)

Asanti Nyuki (Kenya)

Forged Scrap (Ghana)

Best Student Short Film

Echoes from Home (Ghana)

Her Dark Past (Nigeria)

Rekiya (Nigeria)

Blind Pursuit (United States)

Unfinished Ride (Ghana)

Best Student Animation 

Nzo (Ghana)

Smokes and Mirrors (Ghana)

Best YouTube / Web Film 

Monica (Nigeria)

Me, You and Luna (Nigeria)

Local Trouble (Nigeria)

A Mother’s Bargain (Nigeria)

Heaven Must Wait (Nigeria)

Trails of Olaide (Nigeria)

Best Short Film 

1992 (Kenya)

The House That Never Sleeps (South Africa)

Almost Forever (Ghana)

Dictatrix (Ghana/United States)

Mfuko the Duffle Bag (Uganda)

Jimbi (Uganda)

Ashes of Accra (Ghana)

Best Diasporan Film

Echoes From The Past (United Kingdom)

Dictatrix (United States)

Destination Ghana – PIM (Belgium)

Don’t Whistle at Night (Belgium)

Dreaming of Serenada (Denmark)

Best International Film

The Border (Italy)

Blind Pursuit (United States)

Dhakira (France)

Ancheseliodio (Italy)

Most Promising Actor 

Jackline Nafula – Slum Bomber (Uganda)

Gadede Segbefia – No Man of God (Ghana)

Gbubemi Ejeye – Black Pepper (Nigeria)

Michelle Lemuya Ikeny – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

Evangelista Adjei – Amenfi (Ghana)

Larabie Dimzoure – Unvirtous (Burkina Faso)

Simon Peter Walusimbi – Nkinzi (Uganda)

Best Child Actor 

Lubowa Mayra Ariana – Nkinzi (Uganda)

Michelle Lemuya Ikeny – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

Joel Liwan – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

Royal Aziomaku – Alechenu (Nigeria)

Averie Dzama – No Man of God (Ghana)

Ijelu Folajimi – Son of the Soil (Nigeria)

Best Animation 

Tumi (Ghana)

Lion Gwoza (Nigeria)

The Travials of Ajadi (Nigeria)

Selase’s Adventure (Ghana)

The Rusty Fish (Iran)

Lice And Shine (Uganda)

Best Documentary

Mama Nike: Queen of Adire (Nigeria)

Prisoner in My Mind (South Africa)

We Won’t Let You Poison Us (Ghana)

The Journalist Who Never Came Home (Nigeria)

Shining A Light on Lupus (Uganda)

Best Comedy Film 

Vibes – The Movie (Ghana)

Family Brouhaha (Nigeria)

Local Trouble (Nigeria)

Boda Love (Kenya)

Three for Trouble (Nigeria)

Dorathy (Nigeria)

Best TV Series

Damalie (Uganda)

House of Klu (Ghana)

La Coach (Côte d’Ivoire)

Hustle (Nigeria)

With You Every Moment (Ghana)

Big Boys (Ghana)

After The Ashes (Uganda)

Best Debut Film 

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Luc Gnepa

Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene

Vibes – The Movie (Ghana) – Nicholas “Big Ghun” Nartey

One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly

Somewhere Near Love (Nigeria) – Gbolahan Gafar

Best Indigenous Language Film 

Amenfi (Ghana)

Adui (Uganda)

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria)

Sika Fra Mogya (Ghana)

Best Ghanaian Film

No Man of God

Two

Amenfi

Vibes – The Movie

Achievement in Casting 

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Roman Pogorzelski

Two (Ghana) – Nana Gyasi Owusu & Richmond Ofori

No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly

Boda Love (Kenya) – Florence Nduta

Achievement in Costume Design

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Valerie Okeke

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Raymonde Lozo

Two (Ghana) – Aphua Larbi-Amoah

One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu, Fatuo Hassan, Neema Mbeti Ithea

Amenfi (Ghana) – Lucy Opoku

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Vivian Njeri Kimotho

Evi (Nigeria) – Kingsley Okoye Rex

Achievement in Hair & Make-up

Evi (Nigeria) – Tolu Obadipe & Carina Ojoko

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Alakpa Uduoghene Beautifly

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Madjeneba Diomande

Amenfi (Ghana) – Frederick Boateng

Adui (Uganda) – Michael Wawuyo Snr

Heaven Must Wait (Nigeria) – Maureen Ifezue

Achievement in Production Design 

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Suuna Abubakar

Amenfi (Ghana) – Emanuel Owusu Sarpong

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Erixon Kangethe

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Franck-Lionel Groude

The Creek (Nigeria) – Toka Mcbaror

Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Ayanmo Yakub

Achievement in Soundtrack 

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Apuu Mourine & Amadeus Indetzki

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Gbenga Akinnola

Evi (Nigeria) – Tolu Obanro

Vibes – The Movie (Ghana) – Nicholas “Big Ghun” Nartey

No Man of God (Ghana) – Tito Marshall Gomez

Achievement in Sound 

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Roman Pogorzelski

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Adam Songbird

No Man of God (Ghana) – Tito Marshall Gomez

Vibes – The Movie (Ghana) – Nicholas “Big Ghun” Nartey

Two (Ghana) – Ivan Ayitey

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Andrew Ahuurra

Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Tolu Obanro

Achievement in Visual Effects 

The Creek (Nigeria)

No Man of God (Ghana) – Peter Kojo Sampah

Black Pepper (Nigeria) – Banjo Ayodele

Colours of Fire (Nigeria)

Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Steve Askey

Achievement in Cinematography 

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya, Nigeria) – Klaus Kneist, Mwende Renata

Two (Ghana) – John Kwame Markin

No Man of God (Ghana) – Kelly Doe & Eric Oppong Appiah

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Barnabas Emordi Barny

The Creek (Nigeria) – Tolu Timilehin

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Mandione Laye Ka, Moussa Diallo, Elie Josue Dabire

Evi (Nigeria) – Barnabas Emordi Barny

Achievement in Editing

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Tobias Schmutzler

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Dolapo Adigun

Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Alistair Cave

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Penda Ndiaye

The Creek (Nigeria) – Toka Mcbaror

Two (Ghana) – Mohammed Abdul Majeed

No Man of God (Ghana) – Magdalene Morton

Achievement in Screenplay 

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Kevin Schmutzler & Tobias Schmutzler

No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Amadou Koné

Unvirtous (Burkina Faso) – Chloé Aïcha Boro

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Nanfuka Rehema & Musa Luswata

Boda Love (Kenya) – Grace Irungu & Janet Wells

One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu

Best Supporting Actor (Female)

Bamike Olawunmi – No Man of God (Ghana)

Michelle Tiren – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

Maud Guerard – Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire)

Dela Seade – Two (Ghana)

Best Supporting Actor (Male) 

Adjetey Anang – No Man of God (Ghana)

Uzor Arukwe – Evi (Nigeria)

Samuel Kabugo – Slum Bomber (Uganda)

Kelechi Udegbe – The Creek (Nigeria)

Ochungo Obiero – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

Senanu Gbedawo – Two (Ghana)

Best Actor (Female) 

Michelle Lemuya Ikeny – Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya)

Gadede Segbefia – No Man of God (Ghana)

Jackline Nafula – Slum Bomber (Uganda)

Uche Montana – Monica (Nigeria)

Armande Lo – Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire)

Osas Ighodaro – Safari (Nigeria)

Sarah Karei – One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria)

Best Actor (Male) 

Ephriam Oka Kouakou – Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire)

Majid Michel – No Man of God (Ghana)

Bucci Franklin – The Creek (Nigeria)

Gideon Boakye – Two (Ghana)

Murunyu Duncan Mungai – Boda Love (Kenya)

Fredrick Leonard – Heaven Must Wait (Nigeria)

Emmanuel Mugo – Safari (Nigeria)

Best Director

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Vallentine Chelluget, Apuu Mourine, Kevin Schmutzler, Tobias Schmutzler

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Luc Gnepa

No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly

One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Vincho Nchogu

Son of the Soil (Nigeria) – Chee Keong Cheung

Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene

Best Picture

Nawi – Dear Future Me (Kenya) – Caroline Heim, Brizan Were, Lydia Wrensch

No Man of God (Ghana) – Ampong Kwaku Kwakye

Colours of Fire (Nigeria) – Osas Ighodaro

Ebinto (Côte d’Ivoire) – Charly Kodjo

One Woman One Bra (Kenya, Nigeria) – Josh Olaaluwa, Esther de Rothschild

Two (Ghana) – Nana Kofi Asihene, Aphua Larbi-Amoah, Louis Lamis, Isaac “Yaw Skyface” Mensah, John “Kwame Black” Markin

Slum Bomber (Uganda) – Maureen Mona Jolly

 

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