As part of the 75th Cannes Film Festival, UNESCO has decided to organize a conference-debate dedicated to promoting African cinema.
The aim of the event is to highlight the full potential of African cinema, as well as all the opportunities for developing the local film industry.
Organized in the form of a round table, the event will be an opportunity to present UNESCO's recent report entitled "The Film Industry in Africa: Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Growth."
A panel discussion will follow to present the various initiatives put in place to accelerate the development of the industry. In addition to the growing number of private initiatives, UNESCO is contributing to the effort with the following projects: the UNESCO/Nara Residency for Young African Filmmakers, supervised by internationally renowned director Naomi Kawase; the African Film Heritage Project (AFHP), a joint project between Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation, the Cineteca di Bologna, the Pan-African Federation of Filmmakers (FEPACI) and UNESCO, the SENTOO project, which brings together the National Cinematography Centers of seven African countries, the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO), and the UNESCO/Netflix partnership.
Beyond this conference, Africa will also be honored at the Cannes Film Festival thanks to the pavilion dedicated to the continent: the Pavillon Afriques. Once again located in the heart of the Cannes Film Festival's international village, from May 17 to 26, 2022, the Pavilion is the meeting place for professionals from the continent, taking place for the third consecutive year within the Film Market section.