The iREP Documentary Film Festival has opened applications for its 2026 Mobile Phone Filmmaking Workshop, offering young Nigerians the opportunity to learn documentary filmmaking skills from top industry experts and compete for up to ₦1 million in prizes.
The three-day workshop will take place from March 16 to 18, 2026, ahead of the main festival scheduled for March 18 to 22 at the Ecobank Pan-African Centre. The training is organised in partnership with Ecobank as part of the festival’s pre-event capacity-building programmes aimed at developing new creative talents in Nigeria.
Targeted at emerging storytellers aged between 18 and 25, the initiative is designed to teach participants how to produce high-quality documentaries using smartphones and accessible digital tools.
According to the organisers, the programme is part of a broader effort to nurture a new generation of documentary storytellers across the country.
Participants will undergo intensive hands-on training covering story development, documentary research, mobile phone filming techniques, visual composition, interview techniques, ethical storytelling, as well as editing fundamentals and post-production workflow.
The workshop will be led by renowned Nigerian filmmaker Tunde Kelani as the principal facilitator. Other facilitators include Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Joel Benson, alongside Samuel Igbedion, Jahman Anikulapo and Hadizat Ibrahim.
Speaking about the initiative, the organisers noted that the programme is designed to give young creatives practical tools to tell important stories within their communities.
“The workshop is structured to equip emerging storytellers with practical documentary filmmaking skills using mobile phones and accessible digital technology,” the organisers said.
Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with notable figures in Nigeria’s film industry during a special industry meet-and-greet session.
Expected guests include filmmaker and festival director Femi Odugbemi, actress Joke Silva, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, veteran actor Antar Laniyan and singer-performer Nonso Bassey.
To encourage creativity and innovation, participants will produce short documentaries during the workshop, with the best films receiving cash prizes.
The organisers announced that the best film will receive a ₦1 million grand prize, while the second and third-place winners will receive ₦750,000 and ₦500,000 respectively, alongside other consolation prizes.
The workshop is open to aspiring filmmakers, storytellers and content creators living in Nigeria. Applicants are required to submit a 200 to 300-word statement explaining their interest in documentary filmmaking and a social issue they would like to explore.
Applicants must also submit a one to two-minute video pitching their documentary idea and have access to a smartphone for filming. Participation in the programme also requires applicants to have an Ecobank account.
