When Nigeria Happens
New York African Film Festival 2026
May 6 - 12
The first African film to open the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors section, this bold, visually striking drama follows a tight-knit group of misfit dancers whose world is upended when one’s mother falls critically ill. Preceded by Christian Saint and Mélissa Rouillé’s Akosua.
A bold, visually striking contemporary dance drama that had its world premiere at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival, When Nigeria Happens is a gripping story that follows a group of misfit dancers—Fagbo, Pokko, Lighter, Movement, Colos, and Poppy—who live for their art while defying societal expectations. Their tight-knit world is upended when Fagbo’s mother falls critically ill, leaving him in a desperate search for funds. As pressures mount, their bond and dreams are tested like never before. Amid increasing sacrifices, they must confront what it truly means to fight for love, identity, and a future in Nigeria.
Preceded by:
Akosua
Christian Saint, Mélissa Rouillé, 2023, Ghana, 7m
Twi with English subtitles
North American Premiere
In Kumasi, five lifelong friends known as “the Aunties” gather for a day of shared rituals shaped by decades of sisterhood. Through moments of dance, laughter, and prayer, their individual stories come together as one. Akosua is an intimate portrait of friendship, tradition, and the strength found in community.
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