Nigerian filmmaker Ben Casssie has won two of the most significant awards at the 9th Kaduna International Film Festival, taking home Best Feature Film and Best Director for her interfaith drama When Love Prays, which also served as the festival's closing film.
The awards were announced at the festival's closing ceremony, with When Love Prays emerging as the biggest winner of the night. Lead actor Uzee Usman also took home Best Actor in a Male Role for his portrayal of Hamza in the film, making When Love Prays a three-award winner across the night's proceedings. The film competed against entries from Uganda, Nigeria, and several other countries across the festival's official selection.
When Love Prays follows Hamza, a Muslim man played by Uzee Usman, and Cynthia, a Christian woman, whose relationship is challenged by religious differences, family expectations, and deeply held cultural traditions. Despite opposition from both families, the couple chooses to remain together, but their commitment is tested further by betrayal, family conflict, and a life-threatening illness affecting their child. The story eventually brings the two families together in prayer, transforming their differences into an opportunity for forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. The film was produced in partnership with One and Two Films TV and was selected as the closing film of the 9th edition of KADIFF, a selection that carries particular significance given the festival's Kaduna setting, where diverse religious and cultural communities coexist and where a story built around interfaith love carries a resonance that extends beyond cinema.
Ben Casssie received the awards with visible humility and gratitude, acknowledging that the recognition belonged equally to the cast and crew who made the production possible. "When Love Prays was a labour of love, sacrifice, faith, and the collective dedication of an incredible team," she wrote in her reaction. "These awards belong to all of us."
The 9th Kaduna International Film Festival, founded by Audu Israel Kashim and themed Cultural Renaissance, ran from 25th to 29th August 2026 and attracted entries from Uganda, India, Germany, Egypt, Italy, Austria, and Nigeria among other countries. The festival also presented Special Recognition Awards to Barrister Gloria Ibrahim, Commissioner for Youth Development in Kaduna State, Dr Tony Akposheri, and Mr Koye Shotade of Channels Television, alongside a posthumous award to the late Hajiya Wasila Ismail. NFVCB Executive Director and Director General Dr Shaibu Husseini and Nigerian Film Corporation Managing Director Dr Ali Nuhu were among the industry figures present at the ceremony.
Other category winners on the night included Adui from Uganda, which won Best Cinematography, with editors Okoth Peter and Alibet Joshua also recognised for their work on the same film. Mirembe Doreen Jr won Best Actress in a Female Role for her role as Atim in Mama Wange, while Chimezie Imo took Best Supporting Actor for his role as Nnamdi in Nini.
