The Kaduna International Film Festival has announced a strategic partnership with Nigerian airline Air Peace, offering a 20% discount on flights for both local and international attendees of its upcoming 2025 edition scheduled for August.
Speaking in a recent interview, the festival’s founder, Israel Audu Kashim, revealed that the deal with Air Peace was the result of deliberate and aggressive marketing efforts.
Following the announcement of the theme for the eighth edition at the conclusion of last year’s festival, KADIFF opened its call for film submissions and set up a nine-member jury panel to begin selecting entries as early as March 2025. By May, the festival had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Pearl International Film Festival in Uganda, further strengthening its international ties.
Kashim also highlighted the role of consistent online promotion by both international and local jurors, support from film actors and actresses, and diplomatic endorsements from several embassies within Nigeria, which helped generate global interest in the event. This has contributed to an estimated 700 participants expected at the festival, including 20 attendees from Uganda, 10 other international guests, and over 100 registered participants from across Nigeria.
In addition, outreach to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and Kaduna State University (KSU) is projected to draw in 200 corps members and 300 students based in Kaduna, adding to the momentum. With a confirmed 130 registered participants already, the numbers helped to secure Air Peace’s interest in collaborating with the festival.
Explaining the motivation behind the airline deal, Kashim said:
“Some people wanted to attend the festival but are facing challenges of inadequate funding and other reasons. We thought to approach the airline. The partnership covers international participants who are coming from outside Nigeria to Kaduna. They will get 20% discount on their flights from Lagos to Kaduna, or Abuja to Kaduna.
“It also covers 20% discount on flights for Nigerians who will be attending the festival throughout its duration. All they need to do is to send their details to the information we have circulated online. Invitations have been sent to international participants to participate in the competition and invitations sent to process their visas into the country.”
He noted that the agreement with Air Peace is currently a one-time deal, dependent on the success and outcome of this year’s event.
This year’s edition has already seen a record-breaking 2,000 film submissions from over 50 countries. Out of these, 168 films from 15 countries have been selected for screening at the Silverbird Galleria in Kaduna.
In addition to film screenings, the festival will feature Masterclasses, Panel Sessions, Cultural Exhibitions showcasing KADIFF’s international partners, networking opportunities, and for the first time, a skills acquisition programme. This new initiative is aimed at empowering young creatives with entrepreneurial skills to support their professional growth and financial independence.
