Renowned filmmakers Tunde Kelani and Joel Kachi Benson will headline a three-day mobile phone filmmaking workshop for young creatives ahead of the 2026 edition of the iREPRESENT International Documentary Film Festival.
According to a statement by iREP Media team, the programme, organised in partnership with Ecobank, aims to equip aspiring Nigerian storytellers with practical skills for producing compelling films using mobile devices.
The training programme, powered by Ecobank Nigeria, will take place from March 16 to 18 as a pre-festival capacity-building initiative of the documentary festival. The main festival will run from March 18 to 22 at the Ecobank Pan-African Centre on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Designed for emerging storytellers aged 18 to 25, the Mobile Phone Filmmaking Workshop aims to equip participants with practical documentary filmmaking skills using smartphones and accessible digital tools. The initiative forms part of efforts by the festival and its partners to nurture a new generation of documentary storytellers and expand documentary practice across Nigeria.
Participants will receive three days of intensive practical training covering story development and documentary research, mobile phone filming techniques and visual composition, interview techniques and ethical considerations, as well as editing fundamentals and post-production workflow. The programme places strong emphasis on storytelling, visual language, and ethical documentary practice while demonstrating how powerful stories can be produced using readily available mobile technology.
The workshop will be facilitated by an accomplished team of filmmakers and industry professionals. Tunde Kelani will serve as Principal Facilitator, bringing decades of experience in cinematic storytelling and cultural documentation. Other facilitators include Joel Kachi Benson, (winner of 2025 Emmy Award with his documentary MADU) who will speak on festival recognition and global relevance; Samuel Igbedion, who will guide participants on practical filmmaking techniques; Jahman Anikulapo, who will provide support in research and editorial development and Hadizat Ibrahim, who will cover television and broadcast content development.
Beyond the training sessions, participants will also have the opportunity to engage with leading figures in Nigeria’s film industry during a special industry meet-and-greet session. Among those expected to interact with participants are filmmaker and festival director Femi Odugbemi, celebrated actress Joke Silva, filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, veteran actor Antar Laniyan, and singer-performer Nonso Bassey.
The initiative aims to democratise filmmaking by empowering young people to tell compelling African stories using tools that are widely accessible, while strengthening Nigeria’s documentary filmmaking ecosystem and preparing emerging creatives to contribute meaningfully to the continent’s cultural and social narratives.
To encourage innovation and excellence, outstanding films produced during the workshop will be recognised with monetary prizes. The best film will receive ₦1,000,000, the second-place winner ₦750,000, and the third-place winner ₦500,000, alongside other consolation prizes for participants.
The workshop is open to aspiring filmmakers, content creators, and storytellers aged 18 to 25 who reside in Nigeria. Applicants must demonstrate basic literacy and communication skills and must have access to a smartphone for filming.
Interested participants are required to submit a 200–300-word statement of interest explaining why they want to learn documentary filmmaking, a social issue or story they are passionate about, and how they intend to use the skills after the programme. Applicants must also submit a one- to two-minute video pitching their documentary idea.
Participants are required to have an Ecobank account to take part in the programme. Those who do not already have one can open an account through the bank’s digital platform.
Registration is available online at https://forms.gle/C3cP7Py2MJAqiPfy8 and the deadline for applications is March 13, 2026.
For more information visit: www.irepdocufilm.com/smartphoneregistration/
To register: https://forms.gle/C3cP7Py2MJAqiPfy8
