LAGOS, Nigeria, 27 November 2025-/African Media Agency(AMA)/-When Togolese filmmaker Angela Aquereburu created Ahoé, she wanted to tell a story that felt true to home — layered, emotional, and unmistakably Togolese. “Ahoé was made with a lot of love for our country, the people, for the stories,” Aquereburu said.
This personal mission is exactly why Africa No Filter announced her as one of the winners of the 2025 Africa Narrative Change Film Awards. Other winners include Ugandan animator Alex Musisi for Made in China: Kato’s Wire Car and Nigerian producer Dalaham Hirse for Finding Nina, a romantic drama. Each winner receives a $6,000 cash prize and a trophy.
Launched in 2023, the awards celebrate African films that challenge stereotypes, spark new conversations, and reshape how global audiences understand the continent. They form part of Africa No Filter’s mission to support and amplify storytelling that reflects Africa’s progress, innovation, and opportunity.
his year, for the first time, the public was invited to nominate films—resulting in nearly 300 submissions from across the continent and its diaspora. The winning works stood out for their creative excellence, narrative depth, and ability to guide audiences toward a fuller, more nuanced understanding of Africa today.
“We’re tired of seeing Africa reduced to problems, as if conflict, poverty, or corruption are the only stories worth telling. That’s not our truth,” said François Bouda, Arts and Culture Programme Officer at Africa No Filter. “Africa is full of beauty, complexity, humour, brilliance, and joy. These awards celebrate filmmakers who show the world what Africa really looks like. They’re expanding the continent’s cinematic footprint and its narrative power.”
“Storytelling is a great tool, especially in the northern part of Nigeria, where our stories have been misrepresented. It’s true that we have problems like insecurity, however we also ha e beautiful cultures and places…things that unite us. This is what we wanted to achieve with Finding Nina,” Dalaham Hirse said, “On behalf of myself and the entire crew: we are grateful and this is a great push. We are going to tell more stories that have a positive narrative.”
Alex Musisi said: “My team and I use animation to start conversations about issues community face. This is why Kato is deaf. When we tell our own stories we create our own narratives.” He added that the receiving the award comes when his company wants to expand into TV.
Past award recipients include Jesse Sunkwa-Mills, for the animated film Asantewaa: Battle for the Golden Stool, and Mati Diop, for her 2024 documentary Dahomey.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of Africa No Filter
About Africa No Filter
Africa No Filter is an advocacy organization dedicated to shifting stereotypical narratives about Africa by supporting storytelling that reflects a dynamic continent of progress, innovation, and opportunity. We exist because too many stories about Africa revolve around a single story of poor leadership, poverty, corruption, disease, and conflict—neglecting its more progressive realities and perpetuating the notion that the continent is broken, dependent, and lacking agency. For more information, visit www.africanofilter.org.
Enquiries:
Lerato@africanofilter.org
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