Photo Walk in Edo, Nigeria as posted on Open Creatives Africa Facebook Page
Behind every winning video recording is a dedicated jury that carefully reviews each submission, ensuring that the selected works represent both technical excellence and the richness of Africa’s stories. Their commitment helps uphold the integrity of the competition while celebrating the creativity, diversity, and talent of contributors from across the continent.
For the 2026 Wiki Loves Africa edition, themed Rites & Rituals, the Videography Jury brings together an outstanding group of filmmakers, photographers, Wikimedians, and creative leaders. Their diverse professional backgrounds span documentary filmmaking, visual storytelling, community engagement, photography, and open knowledge. Together, they offer a thoughtful and well-rounded perspective on what makes a compelling video—not only in terms of cinematic quality, but also in its ability to respectfully document living traditions, ceremonies, celebrations, and everyday practices that shape communities across Africa.
This year’s theme invites participants to capture the rituals that mark life’s milestones, preserve cultural identity, express spiritual beliefs, and celebrate shared traditions. These stories are often deeply rooted in local knowledge and are rarely documented in freely accessible media. Through their expertise and careful deliberation, the jury will select videos that authentically reflect the diversity, significance, and beauty of these cultural practices while showcasing creativity, strong storytelling, and technique.
Meet the 2026 Wiki Loves Africa Videography Jury
Benedicta Emmanuel (Nigeria)
Photographer & Videographer
Benedicta Emmanuel is a passionate photographer and videographer whose creative journey began with mobile phone photography in 2022. Focusing on street photography, nature, and candid everyday moments, she quickly developed a distinctive visual style rooted in authentic storytelling.
During her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2023, Benedicta served as one of the lead photographers and videographers for the orientation camp, gaining valuable experience in event documentation and visual storytelling. She currently continues to refine her craft at Film Avenue, a film production and cinematography company.
Why she matters on the jury: Benedicta represents a new generation of African visual storytellers. Her appreciation for documenting everyday life and lived experiences brings a fresh perspective to recognising films that respectfully portray cultural traditions and community rituals.
Connect with her on LinkedIn
Fayçal Rezkallah (Algeria)
Photographer & Festival Director
Fayçal Rezkallah is a photographer and director of a photography agency based in Oran, Algeria. In 2012, he founded ISOCLUB, a photography collective that organises Les Journées de la Photo d’Oran, an international photography festival that celebrates visual storytelling and photographic excellence.
His work has been exhibited in Algeria, South Africa, Germany, France, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom, and he is a frequent juror for international photography competitions.
Why he matters on the jury: Fayçal’s extensive experience as both a photographer and international photography judge gives him a strong eye for visual storytelling, composition, and authenticity. His deep engagement with photography festivals and cultural documentation makes him well equipped to evaluate films that celebrate Africa’s diverse rites and rituals.
Sample work: Faces from the Wikimedia Movement
Contributions to Wikimedia Algeria
Muhammed Amine Benloulou (Algeria)
Film Director, Artistic Manager & Wikimedian
Muhammed Amine Benloulou is a Wikimedian, artistic manager, film director, and hip-hop culture researcher from Algeria. He serves as the artistic director of the WikiGhonya project and previously worked as a Community Liaison for the Wikimedia Foundation’s Sound Logo project in the MENA region.
He managed the promotional video production for the Wiki For Climate Change 2023: Right to a Healthy Environment campaign in the Maghreb and, in 2023, released the documentary The Black Panthers of Algeria: A Story of Struggle in the Land of Revolutions, exploring the historical relationship between the African American liberation movement and the Algerian revolution.
Why he matters on the jury: Muhammed’s background in documentary filmmaking, culture, and Wikimedia projects gives him a thoughtful perspective on films that preserve history, identity, and living traditions. His expertise will help identify videos that tell meaningful stories while documenting Africa’s unique perspectives.
Follow him on Instagram
Adel Nehaoua (Algeria)
Civil Engineer & Wikimedian
Adel Nehaoua is a civil engineer with a master’s degree in Highway and Bridge Engineering and has been an active Wikimedian since 2009. He contributes extensively across Arabic and French Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikisource, and Wiktionary, and serves as an administrator on both Arabic Wikipedia and Arabic Wikisource.
With more than 231,000 edits across Wikimedia projects, Adel is an active member of several Wikimedia communities, including Wikimedia Algeria User Group, Wiki World Heritage User Group, and the Arabic Wikimedians User Group. He has contributed to Wikimedia movement governance through the Wikimedia 2030 process, the Charter Drafting Committee discussions, and currently serves on the Regional Funds Committee (MENA) and the Ombuds Commission.
Why he matters on the jury: Adel brings extensive experience within the Wikimedia movement, complemented by a wealth of experience serving on juries for Wikimedia photography and media competitions. His deep understanding of open knowledge, fairness, and community values helps ensure a thoughtful and balanced judging process that recognises both specialised excellence and educational value.
Achievements: Highest Wikimedia contributor through Content Translation Tool
Rachel Zadok (South Africa)
Wiki In Africa Communications Manager & Author
Rachel first joined Wiki In Africa as the producer of Wiki Loves Women’s Inspiring Open Podcast. Then she stayed on as the Head of Communications for the organisation’s various projects and campaigns including Wiki Loves Africa, WikiAfrica Hour, and Wiki Loves Women. For the past four years, she has been responsible for leading communications strategy, content creation and visual storytelling. Her role has involved shaping digital content, amplifying community voices, and helping bring the work of Wiki in Africa to audiences across Africa and beyond. Through this experience, she has developed a deep understanding of the Wikimedia movement, its communities, and the importance of documenting and sharing Africa’s diverse stories.
Rachel is a published author, Fine Arts graduate, and founder of Short Story Day Africa, a platform dedicated to celebrating and supporting African fiction. Her Fine Arts background brings both visual and literary perspectives to her work. Her debut novel, Gem Squash Tokoloshe (Pan Macmillan), was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize, and longlisted for the IMPAC Award. Her second novel, Sister-Sister (Kwela Books, 2013), was nominated for the Herman Charles Bosman Prize and the University of Johannesburg Prize.
Why she matters on the jury: As an acclaimed South African author and storyteller, Rachel brings a unique perspective to the Wiki Loves Africa 2026 Videography Jury. Her literary knowledge adds a valuable eye for narrative, emotion, and the human stories captured within each Rites and Rituals entry. This frame of reference makes her an important part of the judging process.
See her work by following Wiki In Africa on LinkedIn, Facebook, Bluesky, X, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and subscribe to our Newsletter
Thank You to the Jury
By recognising outstanding submissions, the jury helps preserve and amplify African cultural heritage for future generations. Their work supports Wiki Loves Africa’s mission to build a freely accessible visual record of the continent—one that enables people everywhere to learn from, appreciate, and celebrate Africa’s diversity. Their contribution embodies the collaborative spirit of Wiki Loves Africa: a movement driven by community, creativity, and the belief that African knowledge and perspectives deserve to be shared with the world.
Winners will be announced on 15 August, so keep an eye on our social media channels!
