Elevate Africa opens applications for Threads of Africa 2026

Elevate Africa has opened applications for the Threads of Africa Fashion Film Prize 2026, a pan-African initiative aimed at preserving the continent’s textile heritage by encouraging creatives to tell compelling stories through fashion and film.

The competition, which combines fashion, culture and storytelling, invites designers, filmmakers, students and creative teams from Africa and the diaspora to document and reimagine endangered or forgotten African textiles, garments and traditional production techniques through short fashion films.

The announcement comes at a time when African fashion is gaining increasing global recognition. Despite the industry’s international growth and rising interest, many indigenous textiles and craftsmanship traditions remain at risk of disappearing due to inadequate investment, limited infrastructure and the declining transfer of traditional skills.

The 2026 edition, themed “Stories of Rebirth,” seeks to position African fashion as a tool for cultural diplomacy, economic development and sustainable growth within the creative industry.

Participants are expected to produce a three-to-five-minute fashion micro-film exploring the story of an endangered African textile, garment or production technique. Entries should combine documentary-style storytelling with visual documentation of the creative process while highlighting the cultural significance and economic potential of reviving the featured tradition.

According to Princess-Iman Sado, Project Lead for Threads of Africa, the initiative goes beyond a creative competition.

“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, showcasing the region’s growing creative talent.

Previous winners included Adeyoola Adenusi of Adeyoola’s Rehab and Tammytara Abaku of The Abiyetara Brand, both from Nigeria, as well as Philip-Oppong Antwi of Phyll Quahsey from Ghana.

For the 2026 edition, organisers have increased the prize pool, with up to $25,000 in non-dilutive grants available for outstanding participants.

In addition to financial support, winners will receive mentorship opportunities, international exposure through a dedicated showcase at Elevate Africa’s 2026 Convening in Ghana, and promotional support across the organisation’s platforms and partner networks.

Organisers said the expanded programme is designed to strengthen intra-African collaboration, stimulate policy discussions around the creative economy and contribute to building a more integrated and globally competitive African fashion industry.

Creatives from across Africa and the diaspora have been encouraged to submit their entries through the official Threads of Africa website.

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