Festival season in Africa starts this month with the Pan-African FESPACO 2015 Film Festival, the biggest festival on the continent, which opened last sunday in Burkina Faso’s vibrant capital Ouagadougou.
Artists from all corners of the continent will take part in the event which runs until March 7, with “African Cinema : Production and Distribution in the Digital Era” as this edition’s theme. Since its inception in 1969, the festival has done an excellent job sticking to its missing statement : to favor the promotion of all works of the African cinema, to broadcast the works of its filmmakers and to allow exchanges between film professionals.
Unlike other years, for the very first time, the FESPACO is open to the African diaspora filmmakers and digital films can be submitted for selection rendering the film making process much easier for directors who no longer have to make or convert their films in 35mm. Let’s not forget this festival isn’t just about film. Nine television shows will also compete for the Best TV Series trophy and 2 Million dollars CFA prize.
Out of 720 films submitted, only 134 were officially selected for the competition. Among the favorites: Abderramane Sissoko’s Oscar nominated film and seven times César winner “Timbuktu”, a definite competitor for the Gold Standard.
Opening tonight at the festival is “Run”, the story of a man who just murdered the Prime Minister of his country, a role played by breakout star Abdoul Karim Konaté. In this glisteningly crafted feature, Ivoirian filmmaker Philippe Lacôte provides us with a deeper look into the violence and crisis that ravaged his country.
Stay informed with everything FESPACO through our series of reviews, interviews and videos only on Afrokanlife. Throughout the week we’ll offer day-by-day accounts of events and milestones at the fest.
Let the week-long madness begin!
Here is the official list of films and TV shows selected at this year’s fest.
FEATURE FILMS
– Avant le printemps d’Ahmed Attef (EGY),V- C’est eux les chiens d’Hicham Lasri (MAR),
– Cellule 512 de Missa Hebié (BF),
– Des étoiles de Dyana Gaye (SEN),
– Entre le marteau et l’enclume d’Amog Lemra (CON),
– Esclave et courtisane de Christian Lara (GUA),
– Lalla Fadhma N’Soumer de Belkacem Hadjadj (ALG),
– Fièvres de Hicham Ayouch (MAR),
– Four Corners de Ian Gabriel (ZA),
– Haïti Bride de Robert Yao Ramesar (Trinidad-et-Tobago),
– J’ai 50 ans de Djamel Azzizi (ALG),
– L’œil du cyclone de Salif Traoré (BF),
– Morbayassa de Cheik Camara (GUI),
– O Espinho da Rosa de Filipe Henriques (Guinée Bissau),
– Price of love de Hermon Hailay (ETH),
– Printemps tunisien de Raja Amari (TUN),
– Rapt à Bamako de Cheik Omar Sissoko (MAL),
– Render to Cesar de Desmonde Ovbiagele Onyekachi Ejim (NIG),
– Run de Philippe Lacôte (CIV),
– Timbuktu d’Abderrahmane Sissako (MAUR).
SHORT FILMS
– A cœur ouvert d’Ayekoro Kossou (BEN)
– Aïssa’s Story d’Essien Iquo (NGR)
– Ashley d’Ibrahim Ibra Kwizeka (BUR)
– Chambre noire d’Oumar Niguizié Sinenta (MAL)
– Cinq boîtes de lait de Siam Marley (CIV)
– Coming Home de Marinda stein (NAM)
– Damaru d’Agbor Obed Agbor (CAM)
– De l’eau et du sang d’Abdelilah Eljaouhary (MAR)
– Derniers recours de Mahi Bena (ALG)
– L’alliance de Rahmatou Keïta (NIG)
– Kamelo de Jean-Claude Bourjolly (HAI)
– Kwaku Ananse d’Akosua Adoma Owusu (GHA)
– La Boucle de Didier Cheneau (REU)
– La dot de Tahirou Tasséré Ouédraogo (BF)
– Les avales du Grand Bleu de Kossivi Tchincoun (TOG)
– Madama Esther de Luck Razanajaona (MAD)
– Malika et la sorcière de Boureima Nabaloum (BF)
– Moane Mory de Pacôme Amédée Nkoulou Allogo (GAB)
– Muruna de Moly Kane (SEN)
– Soeur Oyo de Monique Mbeka Phoba (RDC)
– Twaaga de Cédric Ido (BF)
– Zakaria de Leyla Bouzid (TUN)
DOCUMENTARIES
– 10949 femmes de Nassima Guessoum (ALG)
– Ady Gasy de Nanteneina Lova (MAD)
– Asni : Courage, passion and glamor in Ethiopia de Samuel Rachel (ETH)
– Beats of the Antonov de Hajooj Kuka (SUD)
– Devoir de mémoire de Mamadou Cissé (MAL)
– Egypt’s Modern Pharaons de Jihan El-Tahri (EGY)
– Esklavaj Reparasyon de Jean-Luc Sylvain et Michel Miheaye (TOG)
– Intore, entre la danse et l’art de la guerre de Aristide Muco et Aristide Katihabwa (BUR)
– Koukan Kourcia, les médiatrices de Sani Magori (NIG)
– La sirène de Faso Fani de Michel K. Zongo (BF)
– La souffrance est une école de sagesse d’Ariane Astrid Atodji (CAM)
– Le chant des tortues de Jawad Rhalib (MAR)
– Mantuila, un fou de la guitare de Michée Sunzu Tshimanga (RDC)
– Miners Shot Down de Desai Rehad (RSA)
– Momsarew d’Alassane Diagne (SEN)
– Paths To Freedom de Richard Pakleppa (NAM)
– Sur les chemins de la Rumba de David-Pierre Fila (CAM)
– Sur un air de révolte de Franck Salin (GUA)
– Tango Negro, les racines africaines du tango de Dom Pedro (ANG)
– Victorieux ou morts mais jamais prisonniers de Mario L. Delatour (HAI)
TELEVISION SHOWS
– « Eh les hommes ! Eh les femmes ! » de Woye Apolline Traore (BF)
– Chroniques africaines de Marie-Christine Zmon (CIV)
– Coeurs errants de Sorel Agbodemakou (BEN)
– Courses pour la vie de Francis Zossou et Tiburce Bocovo (BEN)
– Dougouba Sigui de Boubacar Sidibe (MAL)
– Du jour au lendemain d’Adama Roamba (BF)
– La belle-mère d’Ebenezer Kepombia (CAM)
– Lex Nostra de Gérard Désiré Nguele Amougou (CAM)
– Tôt ou tard de S. Bernard Yameogo (BF)
STUDENT FILMS
– ABC, Abloni bien choisi de Tchilalo Bebi Solo (ESEC, Togo)
– Croix d’Agadez d’Amadou Dénis Paraiso Roufay Charifatou (IFTIC, Niger)
– Délestage électrique de Karim Koné (Brico Films Formation, Mali)
– Dinan de Senami Kpetehogbe (Isma, BEN)
– Elise de Saho Venance Simon Zoh (ISMA, Bénin)
– Et si Dieu avait tort de Palyikem Kpatchaa (Esec, Togo)
– Je danse, donc je suis d’Aissata Ouarma (ISIS, Burkina Faso)
– Kadi (Lanterne) de Lawrence Agbetsise (Nafti, Ghana)
– Kanko l’Ixelloise de Boubacar Sangaré (ISIS, Burkina Faso)
– Karité, mane des savanes d’Abossi Abenan Felicia Kouakou (ISACOM, Côte d’Ivoire)
– Liberté emprisonnée de Sara Mikayil (ESAV, Maroc)
– Sagar de Pape Abdoulaye Seck (ESAV, Maroc)
– Stigmate d’une prêtresse de Prince Kong A. Maneng (ISMA, Bénin)
– Le voyageur de Peter Sedufia (NAFTI, Ghana)
– Wakman de Sékou Oumar Sidibé (ISIS, Burkina Faso)
This post was written by Linda Diatta
Bio de Linda: Multimedia Producer / Community Manager at Foundation GURI – Making Life Better
