Ecrans Noirs 2020 : Opening night canceled due to national mourning in Cameroon

The Ecrans Noirs 2020 festival will be held this year without an opening ceremony. A first for this pan-African festival which is held every year in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This cancellation follows the decree of the President of the Republic of Cameroon establishing the day of October 31, 2020 as a day of national mourning after the deadly attacks in Kumba (a city in the southwest region of Cameroon) which claimed the life of several children. In solidarity with the bereaved nation, the general delegate of the festival, Bassek Ba Kobhio made the decision to cancel the opening ceremony to mark the occasion. A decision hailed by many filmmakers.

This cancellation of the festival opening ceremony does not change the rest of the festival. From November 1, 2020, the festival will return to its normal rhythm with the various film screenings that will take place at the Palais des Sports in Yaoundé. The public will be able to discover the 81 films in the official selection. Other activities will also be carried out such as symposia, press conferences, trainings and forums.