TORONTO, ON - September 2026 - Cameroonian-Canadian filmmaker Tina Nalova has won Best First Short Film at TINFF@10, the 10th anniversary edition of the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival, for her debut short film Till Truth Do Us Part.

Nalova wrote, directed, produced, edited and stars in the film, making the recognition a significant milestone for her work as a multi-hyphenate independent creator in Canada.

Her filmmaking journey began years earlier in Yaounde, Cameroon, where, as a teenager, she filled exercise books with screenplays and asked anyone willing to read them. The TINFF recognition brings that early ambition full circle: from imagining stories on paper in Cameroon to bringing one to the screen and receiving festival recognition in Toronto.

Till Truth Do Us Part is a psychological thriller about a married couple whose seemingly familiar relationship unravels as separate realities reveal secrets, trauma and a shifting balance of power. The film explores betrayal, morality and the complicated ways truth can transform a relationship.

The project also marked Nalova's first time directing and starring in a film. Working with a small independent team, she took on multiple creative roles to bring the story from script to screen. Actor Toye Tee stars opposite Nalova as the film's male lead.


A Story Rooted in the African Diaspora

Nalova's story connects African roots, Canadian life and independent filmmaking. Her award-winning debut reflects the growing visibility of Black and African diaspora creators building careers and telling stories across Canada's film landscape.

Reflecting on the milestone, Nalova said: "This is for my younger self, that teenage girl in Yaounde, Cameroon, who spent hours writing screenplays in exercise books and begged anyone she could find to read them. We are finally in the room where it happens."


About Tina Nalova

Tina Nalova is a Cameroonian-born Canadian writer, filmmaker, director, producer, editor and actress. Till Truth Do Us Part is her debut short film and marks her transition from writing stories on the page to bringing them to life on screen.


Media Contact

Tina Nalova
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