The most important and oldest cultural event, FESPACO, returns for a 28th edition that will take place from February 25 to March 4, 2023 in Ouagadougou. 170 films out of 1200 have been selected for this edition, aptly entitled « African Cinema and Culture of Peace ».
By Ibrahima Sanou
Ouagadougou, which after 28 editions has more than earned its title as the capital of African cinema, is defying the odds to host the next major festival, the biggest for the continent and for African cinema, FESPACO. « Since its creation in 1969, no edition has ever been canceled, recalls the Delegate General (DG) of FESPACO, Alex Moussa Sawadogo. The last edition, despite COVID and the security crisis, was as well attended as the previous ones, demonstrating the federative nature of this festival which has been able to go beyond the borders of Burkina Faso and even Africa. « A resilience, and a longevity that comes from « magic » but not only as Alex Moussa Sawadogo explains. « This event is a unique platform, because it has managed to bring together all those who are interested in African audiovisual and who come to discover new gems, produce new content and find producers and partners. »
« A pan-African selection committee«
An event that the latter had been following for many years before being invited to take over as Delegate General. « This is the first time that a private person has been appointed to head FESPACO. After working as a cultural attaché at the Embassy of Burkina Faso in Germany, I created and directed for several years a festival dedicated to African cinema in Berlin (the Berlin African Film Festival – AFRIKAMERA). It won’t be long before he puts his stamp on it. « When I took over the reins of FESPACO, my first initiative was to set up and manage a pan-African selection committee, made up of professionals from the six major regions of the continent, who select the films we receive and whose daily work consists exclusively of watching films. »
The result: 170 films have been selected from 1200. These include 15 feature films in competition to succeed The Gravedigger’s Wife, directed by Somali filmmaker Khadar Ahmad, which was awarded the Golden Stallion in the 27th edition of Yennenga. Among the selected films is Sira by Burkinabe filmmaker Apolline Traoré; a 120-minute film that recalls Sira’s fight against terrorists.
« Production exists, it is strong and dynamic »
Also in this selection, 14 feature-length documentaries including a 90-minute film directed by the Burkinabe Boubacar Sangaré “Or de vie.” 11 films in the « perspectives » competition, including Les scarifiés by Burkina Faso’s Wabinle Nadie.
There are 31 films registered for the « FESPACO Shorts » competition, 16 animated films, 11 television series, 12 films in the « Burkina Shorts and Fiction and Documentary » competition and 31 films from film schools, including 6 films from the Higher Institute of Image and Sound (ISIS-SE) of Burkina Faso.
All in all, around thirty Burkinabe films were selected. « This shows that production exists, that it is strong and dynamic. The choice was not easy, » says Alex Moussa Sawadogo.
A safe FESPACO
If the theme of this edition, « African Cinema and Culture of Peace », is more than fitting, the complex context in which the event is once again taking place is at the heart of the organizers’ concerns. According to the DG, they are working hard to ensure that all their guests are safe and accommodated in good conditions so that the film festival goes well. He specified: « Our authorities are with us for the safety of the festival, for the happiness of all the professionals and the public who will be there.”
This is the same for International partners, institutions, producers and other members of the big film community gathered once again to celebrate African cinema. The objective is to further strengthen the African film industry. « This is why I wanted to put professionals back at the heart of the festival, by developing programs such as FESPACO Pro or Yennenga Coproduction: to allow promoters of film projects to meet potential partners, and for FESPACO to fully play its role of transmission and facilitation. He recalled: « We must not forget that cinema is an art, but is also a commercial product, an economy. But for this economy to be strong and competitive, we must find new outlets, create opportunities, attract new talent and allow them to meet the decision-makers who will allow them to carry out their project.”
