As every year, the international film industry will have its eyes fixed on Cannes, which will host the 76th Cannes Film Festival from May 16 to 27, 2023. Once again, the event will highlight the potential of African cinema.
This year, six African films are represented in both the official selection and the "Un Certain Regard" category, a selection focused on discovery and created to highlight original films and the talents of tomorrow.
The official competition includes "Banel et Adama," the first feature film by Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye SY. The synopsis tells the story of a young couple living in a small village in the country, whose love is put to the test by community conventions. The film is a French-Malian co-production, although it is competing as a Senegalese work. It will be screened on May 21 in Cannes.
Here are the five other African films selected:
- Les filles de d’OLFA by KAOUTHER BEN HANIA (Tunisia)
- Les meutes by Kamal LAZRAQ (Morocco),
- The Mother of All Lies by ASMAE EL MOUDIR (Morocco)
- AUGURE by Balodji TSHIANI (DRC)
- GOODBYE JULIA by Mohamed KORDOFANI (Sudan)
The "market" section, organized in parallel with the Festival, also gives pride of place to the continent's cinema and opportunities related to the development of a local film industry. This year, the Cannes Film Festival Market is hosting a pavilion entirely dedicated to the continent: the Pavillon Afriques. It is worth noting that this market is one of the most important annual events in the film industry, bringing together more than 12,500 producers, distributors, international sellers, festival representatives, institutions, buyers, financiers, and more.