Nigerian cinema just secured a major historic moment in Toronto! Filmmaker Kaelo Iyizoba has officially put Nollywood on the jury scoreboard at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). His whimsical short film, The Spectacular Death of Prisca, was awarded an Honourable Mention in the Best International Short Film category by the Short Cuts jury on 20 September 2026.
This recognition marks the very first time a Nigerian film has been recognised by a jury in the festival’s 51-year history. Standing out as the only African title named among TIFF’s 2026 award recipients and runners-up, the project—starring and executive produced by Nollywood icon Rita Dominic alongside Genoveva Umeh, Fae Olumide, and Shamz Garuba—brought a fresh, unapologetic taste of old Nollywood storytelling to global screens.
The narrative centers on an overprotective mother who finds herself catapulted into a fever-dream quest to rescue her daughter on her wedding day. Conceptualised as a love letter to the bold aesthetics, dramatic twists, and campy melodrama of 1980s and 2000s Nollywood, the film turns complex family dynamics into a wild, high-energy ride.
Praising the project’s precision, performances, and distinct tone, the Short Cuts jury released a glowing statement explaining their choice:
We wanted to give an Honourable Mention to a film that took us on a completely different kind of ride: a delightful mashup of melodrama, action and comedy that reminded us of the pure joy of making and watching cinema. Executed with remarkable precision in both filmmaking and performance, it turns family dynamics into something heightened, absurd and unexpectedly revealing.
We were especially struck by how original it felt without ever seeming to chase originality. Choices that many filmmakers might hesitate to make were handled with such confidence and ease that the film created its own singular tone, full of personality and completely free of pretension.
Out of 294 films presented from 72 countries at Toronto this year, Iyizoba’s victory reinforces how powerfully Nigerian stories resonate across international festival circuits.
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Filmmaker Kaelo Iyizoba’s short film “The Spectacular Death of Prisca” earned an Honourable Mention at TIFF 2026, marking the first time a Nigerian film has been recognised by a jury in the festival’s 51-year history.
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