Postponed for several months due to Covid19, the 27th edition of Fespaco will finally start in a few days. A special edition that will once again bring together the best of cinema made on the continent.
Only 4 days left and Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, will vibrate to the rhythm of Fespaco. The largest biennial of African cinemas on the continent, will bring together from October 16 to 23, 2021 all the best of African seventh art. A major event that suffered, like several others, the tremors of Covid19. The Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou should have been held in February 2021 to respect its usual schedule, but the global pandemic passing through there, the organizing committee led by its new director Alex Moussa Sawadogo, decided not to postpone it but to push it back. A baptism of fire therefore for Alex Moussa Sawadogo, for who this 27th edition will be the first as director. An arduous task to which this German-Burkinabé has been working since his appointment at the head of Fespaco on October 14, 2020. He will be able to count on his long experience in the management of festivals around the world and to rely on the achievements of Fespaco which exists since 1969. Because the challenges are great. Among them, that of convincing the partners to continue to support this adventure and to win back some partners who left the boat over the years. And to mark the spirits, the festival team undertook a seduction operation marked by a progressive communication which reveals every day the contours of this post Covid edition.
On September 17, the organizing committee revealed what the opening film of the festival would be. And it was the film Atlantics by Senegalese Mati Diop that was chosen. A choice which is not trivial because this year Senegal is the guest of honor of the festival. What better way to open the festival than a Senegalese film which won the Grand Prix at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and which represented Senegal for the 2019 Oscars race! The distinguished guests of the opening ceremony will therefore be able to immerse themselves in the half real, half mystical universe of Atlantics, which deals in a particular way with the drama of immigration of young africans to Europe. In the same vein, the official selection has been unveiled and offers nearly 70 films in several categories. The category where the eyes and attentions will all be focused will indeed be the feature film competition with beautiful films. We can cite between in terms of feature films: La Nuit des Rois by Philippe Lacôte, The White Line by Desirée Kahikopo, This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Ressurection by Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Baaamum Nafi by Mamadou Dia, Une histoire d’amour and desir, by Leyla Bouzid and many others who will all be in the race for the precious trophies: the Gold Stallion of Yennenga.
With such a large selection, it is a pity that the festival did not focus its communication on these films which would have more interest in the festival among film buffs. A communication on the trailers and the contents of these films would have been a plus. Never mind, the various selections are worthy of interest and the public present cannot be disappointed.
Who says official selections, also says official competitions. And an official competitions means a jury in charge of watching films and awarding prizes. On social networks, the unveiling of the different members of the jury is therefore done gradually, the president of the feature film jury with be the mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako.
Likewise, the organizing committee is gradually revealing the various partnerships signed with various sponsors and other institutions. Among these partnerships, we can cite the one with LONAB (Loterie Nationale Burkinabé). The game company will provide funding of up to 100 million FCFA (153,847 euros) to the festival. Another assistance in technical equipment worth 14 million FCFA is granted to the festival by the Embassy of the United States in Burkina Faso.
Besides the various film screenings, the festival will also be marked by masterclasses, one of which with Abderrhamane Sissako, an international conference based on the theme of the festival: “Cinemas from Africa and the Diaspora: new perspectives, new challenges ”and major innovation of this year, the Yennenga workshops we talked about in a previous article. Yennenga workshops which consist of two workshops devoted: one to supporting films at the post-production stage (Yennenga Post-Production) and the other in a short and professional training in film professions, particularly in the commercial field. . (Yennenga Academy).
The program for this 27th edition promises to be busy. If for the moment the preparations are 90% completed according to the words of the director of the festival, it only remains to hope that the public and the professionals will respond present for this festival of African cinemas gives birth to more projects and collaborations and be more beautiful than in previous years.
Complete program of screenings here : Fespaco 2021 – Films Program
Rostand Wandja
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