Elevate Africa has opened applications for the Threads of Africa Fashion Film Prize 2026, a continent-wide initiative aimed at preserving Africa’s rich textile heritage by empowering creatives to tell stories of endangered fabrics, garments, and traditional craftsmanship through film.
The competition brings together fashion, culture, and visual storytelling, inviting designers, filmmakers, students, and creative teams from across Africa and the diaspora to document and reimagine fading textile traditions through short fashion films.
The call comes at a time when African fashion is enjoying growing international recognition and commercial success. However, many indigenous textiles and production techniques remain under threat from inadequate investment, weak infrastructure, and the gradual loss of traditional knowledge passed down through generations.
Under the theme “Stories of Rebirth,” the 2026 edition seeks to spotlight the revival of endangered African fashion traditions while positioning the creative industry as a driver of cultural preservation, economic growth, and continental integration.
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Participants are required to produce a three-to-five-minute fashion micro-film exploring the story of an endangered African textile, garment, or production technique. The films are expected to blend documentary-style storytelling with creative visual expression, highlighting both the cultural significance and economic potential of reviving the featured tradition.
Project Lead for Threads of Africa, Princess-Iman Sado, said the initiative is designed to go beyond artistic expression and contribute to a broader movement of cultural reclamation and identity preservation.
“Threads of Africa Fashion Film Prize is more than a competition; it is a movement to reclaim our narratives and revive our traditions. It is our way of weaving a stronger and better connected Africa,” she said.
The programme builds on the success of its inaugural edition in 2024, which attracted more than 520 participants from Nigeria and other West African countries, demonstrating the growing appetite for creative platforms that celebrate African heritage.
Past winners included Adeyoola Adenusi of Adeyoola’s Rehab and Tammytara Abaku of The Abiyetara Brand from Nigeria, as well as Philip-Oppong Antwi of Phyll Quahsey from Ghana.
Organisers have significantly expanded the 2026 edition, introducing a prize pool of up to US$25,000 in non-dilutive grants to support outstanding participants in developing and scaling their creative work.
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In addition to financial support, winners will receive mentorship from industry experts, international exposure through a dedicated showcase at Elevate Africa’s 2026 Convening in Ghana, and promotional opportunities across the organisation’s networks and partner platforms.
According to organisers, the expanded programme is expected to foster greater collaboration among African creatives, stimulate discussions around the creative economy, and contribute to building a globally competitive African fashion industry rooted in cultural authenticity.
By encouraging the documentation and revival of endangered textiles, Threads of Africa also aims to preserve valuable knowledge systems and craftsmanship traditions that form part of the continent’s cultural identity.
Applications are now open, with creatives from Africa and the diaspora encouraged to submit their entries through the official Threads of Africa platform.
As African fashion continues to gain influence on the global stage, the initiative presents an opportunity for a new generation of storytellers to ensure that the continent’s textile heritage is not only preserved but reimagined for the future.