Nollywood legend Patience Ozokwor (Mama G) will appear at WIBFF 2026, hosted in collaboration with the Black Scholars Institute, across four days of cinema, heritage, and festivities.
The third annual Windsor International Black Film Festival (WIBFF) takes place from August 13 to 16, 2026, produced alongside the Black Scholars Institute at the University of Windsor. This year’s official lineup includes 40 films scheduled at ArtSpeak Gallery, located at the Arts Council Windsor and Region, 1942 Wyandotte St. E. The event kicks off with a full-day symposium on August 13 and concludes with Gala Night and the WIBFF Humanitarian Awards at Caesars Windsor on August 16.
Entering its third year, WIBFF has solidified its reputation as a key cultural event along the Windsor-Detroit corridor. The 2026 program brings together feature films, short films, and documentaries created by Black filmmakers from Canada, the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, and the broader diaspora. These screenings are accompanied by filmmaker talks, industry panels, and community activities designed to create opportunities for the next generation of Black storytellers.
“Black narratives deserve the largest platform possible, and Windsor is providing that,” stated Dr. Queen Eghujovbo, CEO and Founder of Zalent Creatives Group. “Every film in this year’s selection was deliberately chosen to provoke audiences, honor our artists, and unite communities across borders and generations. WIBFF exists because our filmmakers, our youth, and our community need a place where our stories take center stage.”
Nollywood icon Patience Ozokwor, affectionately known as Mama G, will be a featured guest at WIBFF 2026. With more than 100 film roles and a career spanning over twenty years, Ozokwor stands among the most revered actresses in African cinema. She has twice won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and received the Industry Merit Award at the 2023 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. She recently gained international recognition for her portrayal of Madam Pat in Mo Abudu’s Netflix films Chief Daddy and Chief Daddy 2: Going for Broke. Her participation represents a significant milestone for the festival and for the ongoing exchange between Nollywood and Black Canadian cinema.
The festival begins on August 13 with the Black Creative Economy Symposium, an all-day series of panels addressing film, funding, artificial intelligence, and the business of Black creative work, organized in partnership with the Black Scholars Institute. Screenings start the next morning with welcome remarks at 9:45 AM and the opening film, The Perfect Match, at 10:00 AM on Friday, August 14. Friday’s schedule features the program’s longest films, including Force of Blue, Destiny of a Migrant, The Battle of Henry Johnson, and The Thing About Pain.
Saturday, August 15 runs from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM and offers the most diverse selection, beginning with In My Circle and Missing, moving through Ifediche in the afternoon, and ending the evening with a series of shorts such as Nneoma, Homegirls in Outer Space, and Beg Yuh A Call. The screening schedule wraps up on Sunday morning with a shorts block that includes Harvest, To Move in My Mother’s Prayers, and the closing film Goodbye at 10:15 AM.
WIBFF’s collaboration with the Black Scholars Institute grounds the festival in a broader mission to inform, uplift, and broaden access to Black cinema throughout the area. The programming extends beyond film screenings, linking filmmakers with academics, students, and audiences in a city located on one of North America’s most culturally significant borders.
“WIBFF has evolved into one of the most essential cultural events on the Windsor-Detroit corridor, and the quality of this year’s program highlights the talent, collaboration, and community support behind it,” said Christopher Alexander, Board Chair of Zalent Creatives Group. “Our responsibility as a board is to ensure this festival has the stability to continue expanding, so that year after year, this region maintains a home for Black cinema of the highest caliber.”
The festival concludes with Gala Night and the WIBFF Humanitarian Awards at Caesars Windsor on August 16, recognizing the filmmakers, industry leaders, and community advocates who shape each edition. Under the theme Legacy and Liberation, the evening begins with a red carpet at 5:00 PM, followed by dinner and the awards ceremony at 6:00 PM, ending at 10:00 PM. Cocktail attire is recommended.
Tickets can be purchased at filmfreeway.com/WIBFF/tickets, and the full schedule is available at wibff.com. The festival can be found on Instagram at @windsorblackfilmfest, on Facebook as Windsor Black Film Festival, and on YouTube at @wibff.
WIBFF 2026 at a Glance
Thursday, August 13 | 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Black Creative Economy Symposium
ArtSpeak Gallery, Arts Council Windsor & Region
1942 Wyandotte St. E
Friday, August 14 | 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Opening Day Screenings
Welcome remarks and opening film, The Perfect Match
ArtSpeak Gallery, Arts Council Windsor & Region
1942 Wyandotte St. E
Saturday, August 15 | 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Full Day of Features and Shorts
ArtSpeak Gallery, Arts Council Windsor & Region
1942 Wyandotte St. E
Sunday, August 16 | 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Closing Shorts Programme
Closing film, Goodbye
ArtSpeak Gallery, Arts Council Windsor & Region
1942 Wyandotte St. E
Sunday, August 16 | 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM
Gala Night and the WIBFF Humanitarian Awards
Legacy and Liberation
Caesars Windsor
377 Riverside Drive East
Nadine Spencer
Windsor International Black Film Festival
+1 416-708-0521
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