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Warien Rose International Film Festival (WRIFF)

Real Stories. Global Impact.

Celebrating Stories That Matter. Empowering Filmmakers. Inspiring Change.

About the Festival

Warien Rose International Film Festival (WRIFF)

The Warien Rose Film Festival (WRFF) is a purpose driven international film festival dedicated to celebrating exceptional storytelling, cinematic excellence, creative innovation, and films that inspire positive social change.

Founded by Warien Rose Academy and supported by Warien Rose Foundation, the festival serves as a global platform for filmmakers, producers, students, content creators, documentarians and visual storytellers whose work reflects the power of cinema to educate, inspire, challenge perspectives and transform societies.

The festival welcomes films from around the world that demonstrate artistic excellence, originality, cultural relevance, and meaningful impact. Through screenings, awards, networking opportunities, masterclasses, workshops, and industry conversations, WRFF seeks to connect storytellers with audiences while promoting collaborations and sparking conversations within the global film community.

At the heart of the festival is the belief that film is more than entertainment, it is a powerful instrument for education, advocacy, innovation, cultural preservation and sustainable development.

Our Vision

To become Africa’s leading purpose driven international film festival and one of the world’s most respected platforms for films that inspire transformation, innovation and social impact.

Our Mission

To discover, celebrate, empower, and promote filmmakers whose stories contribute positively to humanity while advancing excellence, diversity, creativity and professional growth within the global film industry.

Our Purpose

The Warien Rose Film Festival exists to:

  • Showcase powerful and impactful stories from around the world.
  • Promote African and global cinema.
  • Create opportunities for emerging and established filmmakers.
  • Encourage storytelling that addresses real world challenges and solutions.
  • Encourage cultural exchange and global understanding.
  • Support film education, professional development and industry advancement.
  • Inspire audiences through meaningful and transformative storytelling.
Our Ambition

Our ambition is to build a world-class film festival that becomes a recognized destination for filmmakers, distributors, investors, broadcasters, studios, educators, and audiences seeking films that matter.

We aspire to:

  • Become one of Africa’s most influential film festivals.
  • Create pathways for filmmakers to access global opportunities.
  • Establish industry partnerships across continents.
  • Promote innovation in filmmaking and digital storytelling.
  • Champion films aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • Position Nigeria, as a global destination for creative excellence and cinematic innovation.
Our Focus Areas

The festival particularly welcomes films exploring themes such as:

  • Education and Human Development
  • Women and Gender Equality
  • Women in Leadership, Business and Politics
  • Youth Empowerment
  • Leadership and Governance
  • Climate Action and Environmental Sustainability
  • Health and Mental Wellness
  • Innovation and Technology
  • Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
  • Human Rights and Social Justice
  • Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution
  • Arts, Culture and Heritage
  • Community Transformation
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Global Citizenship
Film Categories

The Warien Rose Film Festival accepts submissions in the following categories:

Feature Films

Narrative films with a running time of 40 minutes or more.

Short Films

Narrative films under 40 minutes.

Documentary Films

Short and feature length documentaries.

Student Films

Films produced by students or recent graduates.

Animation

Animated short and feature productions.

Experimental Films

Innovative and non-traditional storytelling formats.

Social Impact Films

Films focused on social change, advocacy and development issues.

African Stories

Films highlighting African cultures, experiences, history, and innovation.

International Cinema

Films from any country around the world.

Mobile Phone Films

Films shot primarily using mobile devices.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for consideration:

  1. Films must have been completed within the last five (5) years.
  2. Entries must be submitted by the copyright owner or authorized representative.
  3. Films in languages other than English must include English subtitles.
  4. Multiple submissions are permitted.
  5. The festival reserves the right to determine category placement.
  6. Films may be submitted from any country.
  7. Student filmmakers may be required to provide proof of student status.
Disqualification Criteria

The following may be disqualified:

  • Films containing hate speech or content that promotes violence against individuals or groups.
  • Content that infringes on copyrights, trademarks, or intellectual property rights.
  • Films submitted without proper authorization.
  • Incomplete submissions.
  • Poor-quality files that cannot be screened adequately.
  • Fraudulent or misleading information provided during submission.
  • Content that promotes terrorism, corruption, criminal activities, or unlawful conduct.
  • Films generated or submitted using stolen content.
Judging Criteria

Films will be evaluated based on:

  • Originality and Creativity
  • Storytelling Quality
  • Technical Excellence
  • Cinematography
  • Directing
  • Editing
  • Sound Design
  • Acting Performance
  • Innovation
  • Social Impact and Relevance
  • Audience Engagement
  • Overall Artistic Merit

The decision of the judges is final.

Festival Goals

The Warien Rose Film Festival seeks to:

  1. Discover outstanding filmmaking talent globally.
  2. Promote socially impactful storytelling.
  3. Advance excellence in film education and production.
  4. Strengthen Africa’s creative economy.
  5. Connect filmmakers with industry opportunities.
  6. Encourage innovation in visual storytelling.
  7. Build an international community of creators committed to positive change.
  8. Celebrate films that inspire, educate, and transform lives.
Festival Organizers
Dr. Efe Anaughe, Esq.

Dr. Efe Anaughe, Esq.

Founder, Festival President & Chair of the Governing Council

Jheri Blake

Jheri Blake

Co-Artistic & Executive Festival Director

Akinnayajo Babatunde A.

Akinnayajo Babatunde A.

Co-Artistic & Executive Festival Director

Contact Information

Warien Rose Film Festival (WRFF)

37 Moradeyo Street,
Amuwo Odofin,
Lagos, Nigeria

Website:
www.warienrosefoundation.org

Email:
[email protected]

Presented by:
Warien Rose Academy

Powered by:
Warien Rose Foundation

Warien Rose Film Festival

Celebrating Stories That Matter. Empowering Filmmakers. Inspiring Change.

Festival Leadership Structure

Dr. Efe Anaughe, Esq.

Founder, Festival President & Chair of the Governing Council

As Founder and President, Dr. Efe Anaughe provides the strategic vision, institutional leadership, governance oversight, and final authority on all major festival matters. As Chair of the Governing Council, she ensures that the festival remains aligned with the mission and values of the Warien Rose Foundation.

Jheri Blake

Co-Artistic & Executive Festival Director

Jheri Blake provides joint leadership for the artistic direction and executive management of the festival, overseeing programing, partnerships, festival operations, filmmaker engagement, and strategic growth initiatives.

Akinnayajo Babatunde A.

Co-Artistic & Executive Festival Director

Akinnayajo Babatunde A. provides joint leadership for the artistic direction and executive management of the festival, overseeing programming, industry engagement, festival operations, talent development, and the advancement of the festival’s creative and strategic objectives.

Governance Statement

The Warien Rose Film Festival (WRFF) is founded, owned, and governed by the Warien Rose Foundation through the Warien Rose Academy. Strategic oversight is provided by the Festival Governing Council under the leadership of the Founder, Festival President & Chair of the Governing Council, Dr. Efe Anaughe, Esq. The day-to-day artistic and executive management of the festival is jointly led by the Co-Artistic & Executive Festival Directors, Jheri Blake and Akinnayajo Babatunde A. with Dr Efe Anaughe performing oversight functions.