The Ibadan Indie Film Awards (IFA) has adopted “Atupa” as the theme for its 2026 edition, scheduled to run from November 27 to 29 at New Culture Studios in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“Atupa”, the Yoruba word for “lamp”, succeeds the festival’s previous theme, “IFA is Home”. Organisers said the image reflects the festival’s five-year journey, symbolising a light that reveals the next step rather than the entire road ahead.

The 2026 edition will also introduce IFA Kids, an educational programme aimed at engaging young people with film and creative expression, alongside the release of the IFA Journal.

The journal will document independent films, creative spaces and filmmaking movements across Ibadan between 2022 and 2024, creating a record of the city’s developing independent film scene.

The three-day festival will feature film screenings, filmmaker workshops, panel discussions, open-mic sessions, art exhibitions and live performances.

It will conclude with an awards ceremony recognising independent filmmakers across a range of categories.

Established in 2022, the Ibadan Indie Film Awards is an annual festival focused on independent filmmaking, exhibition and audience engagement in the Oyo State capital.

Chukwu Martin, founder of the Ibadan Indie Film Awards, said the festival plans to strengthen its relationships with cultural organisations, local communities and media groups that have supported its development since its inception.

He also said the organisers were looking forward to working with new collaborators as the festival enters another year of programming.

With “Atupa” as its guiding theme, the 2026 edition places renewed emphasis on independent storytelling, creative exchange and the networks shaping film culture in Ibadan.