Nigerians Report Online Presents The 79th Annual Cannes Film Festival

  

The 79th Cannes Film Festival is taking place in Cannes, France, from May 12 to 23, 2026. A major highlight of this year’s edition is the Jury President, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook. The festival opened with French director Pierre Salvadori's film The Electric Kiss. 

Here is a quick glance at key details for the 2026 event:

Official Poster: Designed by Hartland Villa, featuring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis on the set of Thelma & Louise.
Opening Ceremony Host: French actress Eye Haïdara.
Main Jury: Chaired by Park Chan-wook, with prominent members including actress Demi Moore.

Opening Film: The Electric Kiss.
Honorary Palmes d'Or: Awarded to Peter Jackson, John Travolta, and Barbra Streisand. 

 

The films of the Official Selection 2026 - Festival de Cannes

IN COMPETITION

Opening film:

THE ELECTRIC KISS by Pierre SALVADORI – Out of Competition

AMARGA NAVIDAD by Pedro ALMODÓVAR

A WOMAN’S LIFE by Charline BOURGEOIS-TACQUET

LA BOLA NEGRA by Javier CALVO & Javier AMBROSSI

COWARD by Lukas DHONT

PARALLEL TALES by Asghar FARHADI

PAPER TIGER by James GRAY

DAS GETRÄUMTE ABENTEUER by Valeska GRISEBACH
(THE DREAMED ADVENTURE)

ALL OF A SUDDEN by HAMAGUCHI Ryusuke

THE UNKNOWN by Arthur HARARI

ANOTHER DAY by Jeanne HERRY

SHEEP IN THE BOX by KOREEDA Hirokazu

HOPE by NA Hong-jin

NAGI NOTES by FUKADA Koji

GENTLE MONSTER by Marie KREUTZER

A MAN OF HIS TIME by Emmanuel MARRE

FJORD by Cristian MUNGIU

THE BIRTHDAY PARTY by Léa MYSIUS

MOULIN by László NEMES

FATHERLAND by Paweł PAWLIKOWSKI

THE MAN I LOVE by Ira SACHS

EL SER QUERIDO by Rodrigo SOROGOYEN
(THE BELOVED)

MINOTAUR by Andreï ZVYAGINTSEV

UN CERTAIN REGARD

Opening film:

TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA by Jane SCHOENBRUN

ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG by Abinash BIKRAM SHAH | 1st film

IRON BOY by Louis CLICHY

BEN’IMANA by Marie-Clémentine DUSABEJAMBO | 1st film

CONGO BOY by Rafiki FARIALA

CLUB KID by Jordan FIRSTMAN | 1st film

A GIRL’S STORY by Judith GODRÈCHE

UĻA by Viesturs KAIRIŠS

TITANIC OCEAN by Konstantina KOTZAMANI | 1st film

LA MÁS DULCE by Laïla MARRAKCHI
(STRAWBERRIES)

EL DESHIELO by Manuela MARTELLI
(THE MELTDOWN)

SIEMPRE SOY TU ANIMAL MATERNO by Valentina MAUREL
(FOREVER YOUR MATERNAL ANIMAL)

YESTERDAY THE EYE DIDN’T SLEEP by Rakan MAYASI | 1st film

I’LL BE GONE IN JUNE by Katharina RIVILIS | 1st film

WORDS OF LOVE by Rudi ROSENBERG

EVERYTIME by Sandra WOLLNER

VICTORIAN PSYCHO by Zachary WIGON

ALL THE LOVERS IN THE NIGHT by SODE Yukiko

ULYSSE by Laetitia MASSON
Closing film of Un Certain Regard

OUT OF COMPETITION

LA BATAILLE DE GAULLE : L’ÂGE DE FER by Antonin BAUDRY

KARMA by Guillaume CANET

DIAMOND by Andy GARCIA

FORSAKEN by Vincent GARENQ

CRESCENDO by Agnès JAOUI

HER PRIVATE HELL by Nicolas WINDING REFN

MIDNIGHT SCREENINGS

FULL PHIL by Quentin DUPIEUX

SPECIES by Marion LE CORROLLER | 1st film

ROMA ELASTICA by Bertrand MANDICO

JIM QUEEN by Marco NGUYEN & Nicolas ATHANÉ | 1st film

GUN-CHE by YEON Sang-ho
(COLONY)

CANNES PREMIERE

LA TROISIÈME NUIT by Daniel AUTEUIL

THE MATCH by Juan CABRAL & Santiago FRANCO

MARIE MADELEINE by Géssica GÉNÉUS

AQUÍ by Tiago GUEDES

ORANGE-FLAVOURED WEDDING by Christophe HONORÉ

KOKUROJO by KUROSAWA Kiyoshi
(THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER)

THE END OF IT by Maria MARTÍNEZ BAYONA | 1st film

THINK GOOD by Géraldine NAKACHE

HEIMSUCHUNG by Volker SCHLÖNDORFF
(VISITATION)

PROPELLER ONE-WAY NIGHT COACH by John TRAVOLTA | 1st film

SPECIAL SCREENINGS

REHEARSALS FOR A REVOLUTION by Pegah AHANGARANI | 1st film

LES MATINS MERVEILLEUX by Avril BESSON | 1st film

L’AFFAIRE MARIE-CLAIRE by Lauriane ESCAFFRE & Yvo MULLER

AVEDON by Ron HOWARD

VESNA by Rostislav KIRPIČENKO | 1st film

ASHES by Diego LUNA

TANGLES by Leah NELSON | 1st film

LES SURVIVANTS DU CHE by Christophe Dimitri RÉVEILLE | 1st film

LE TRIANGLE D’OR by Hélène ROSSELET-RUIZ | 1st film

JOHN LENNON : THE LAST INTERVIEW by Steven SODERBERGH

GROUNDSWELL by Josh TICKELL & Rebecca TICKELL

CANTONA by David TRYHORN & Ben NICHOLAS

FAMILY SCREENING

LUCY LOST by Olivier CLERT | 1st film

CLARISSA, From The Esiri Twin - Brothers of Nigeria

Clarissa is the first Nigerian film to be selected for the annual Directors’ Fortnight and among the 19 international films selected for the 58th edition of the Directors’ Fortnight alongside the main 79th annual Cannes Film Festival taking place from 12 to 23 May 2026.

Premiere Date: May 16, 2026

Details on 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarissa_(2026_film)#:~:text=Neon-,Release,-date 

Complete List of Winners at the 78th Festival de Cannes

Official trailer of "UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT".

 

The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival held from May 13-24, 2025 in France opened with Leave One Day (French: Partir un jour), a 2025 French musical comedy drama film directed by Amélie Bonnin in her feature directorial debut. It was based on her 2021 short film Bye Bye, which won the César Award for Best Fiction Short Film at the 48th ceremony. It stars Juliette Armanet, Bastien Bouillon, François Rollin, Tewfik Jallab, Dominique Blanc, Mhamed Arezki, Pierre-Antoine Billon, and Amandine Dewasmes.

During the festival, two Honorary Palme d'Or were awarded: the first was awarded to Robert De Niro during the festival's opening ceremony and the second was awarded on short notice to Denzel Washington before the world premiere of Highest 2 Lowest.

Complete List of Winners at the 78th Festival de Cannes 

Jafar PANAHI won the highly coveted Palme d'Or for his film "UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT".

Jury

 Documentarist and producer Dieudo Hamadi, Korean director and screenwriter Hong Sangsoo, Mexican director, screenwriter and producer Carlos Reygadas and American actor Jeremy Strong, presented its winners’ list among the 22 films presented in Competition this year.

Feature Films

Palme d’or
UN SIMPLE ACCIDENT
Jafar PANAHI

Grand Prix
AFFEKSJONSVERDI
(SENTIMENTAL VALUE)
Joachim TRIER

Joint Jury Prize
SIRÂT
Oliver LAXE

SOUND OF FALLING
Mascha SCHILINSKI

Best Director
Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO for O AGENTE SECRETO (THE SECRET AGENT)

Best Screenplay
Jean-Pierre DARDENNE & Luc DARDENNE for JEUNES MÈRES

Best performance by an actress
Nadia MELLITI in LA PETITE DERNIÈRE directed by Hafsia HERZI

Best performance by an actor
Wagner MOURA in O AGENTE SECRETO (THE SECRET AGENT) directed by Kleber MENDONÇA FILHO

Special Award
KUANG YE SHI DAI (RESURRECTION)

Bi GAN

Short Films

Palme d’or
I’M GLAD YOU’RE DEAD NOW
Tawfeek BARHOM

Special Mention
ALI
Adnan AL RAJEEV

Un Certain Regard
 
Un Certain Regard Prize
LA MISTERIOSA MIRADA DEL FLAMENCO (THE MYSTERIOUS GAZE OF THE FLAMINGO)
Diego CÉSPEDES
1st film

Jury Prize
UN POETA (A POET)
Simón MESA SOTO

Best Directing
Arab & Tarzan NASSER
for Once Upon a Time in Gaza

Best Actor
Frank DILLANE
in Urchin directed by Harris Dickinson

Best Actress
Cleo DIÁRA
in O Riso e a Faca (I Only Rest in the Storm) directed by Pedro Pinho

Best Screenplay
PILLION
Harry LIGHTON
1st film

Caméra d’or
Caméra d’or Prize
THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE
Hasan HADI
Directors’ Fortnight

Special Mention
MY FATHER’S SHADOW
Akinola DAVIES JR
Un Certain Regard

La Cinef
First Prize
FIRST SUMMER
Heo GAYOUNG
KAFA, South Korea

Second Prize
12 MOMENTS BEFORE THE FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY
QU Zhizheng
Beijing Film Academy, China

Joint Third Prize
GINGER BOY
Miki TANAKA
ENBU Seminar, Japan

WINTER IN MARCH
Natalia MIRZOYAN
Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia

Superior Technical Commission
 
THE CST AWARD FOR BEST ARTIST-TECHNICIAN is presented to Ruben Impens, director of photography, and Stéphane Thiébaut, mixer of ALPHA, directed by Julia Ducournau

The 2025 jury of the CST Award for best Artist-Technician acknowledges the powerful creativity of sound and image in this film, achieved by Ruben Impens, director of photography and Stéphane Thiébaut, mixer, of Alpha directed by Julia Ducournau.

THE CST AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG FEMALE FILM TECHNICIAN is presented to Éponine Momenceau, Director of photography of
CONNEMARA, directed by Alex Lutz

The 2025 jury of the CST Award for best Young, Female Film Technician is proud to present this year’s prize to Éponine Momenceau, director of photography of Connemara directed by Alex Lutz, for the delicacy and subtlety of the work on the images that accompany the film’s story and direction

Source

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-78th-festival-de-cannes-winners-list/

2024 Cannes Film Festival: Winner of the Palme d'Or the Other Winners

 

2024 Cannes Film Festival: Winner of the Palme d'Or the Other Winners

77th EDITION

May 14-25, 2024

Palme d’Or

ANORA

Directed by : Sean BAKER

Year of production: 2024

Country: United States

Duration: 138

"Anora, a young sex worker from

Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled."

https://www.festival-cannes.com/f/anora/#

Grand Prix

ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

Payal Kapadia

Jury Prize

EMILIA PÉREZ

Jacques Audiard

Best Director

MIGUEL GOMES

for Grand Tour

Special Award

MOHAMMAD RASOULOF

for The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof was given a Special Prize for The Seed of the Sacred Fig. 

Best Performance by an Actor

JESSE PLEMONS

in Kinds of Kindness directed by Yórgos Lánthimos

Best Performance by an Actress

ADRIANA PAZ

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

ZOE SALDAÑA

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

SELENA GOMEZ

in Emilia Pérez directed by Jacques Audiard

Best Screenplay

THE SUBSTANCE

Coralie Fargeat

Short Films

Palme d’or

THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT

Nebojša Slijepčević

Special Mention

BAD FOR A MOMENT

Daniel Soares

Un Certain Regard

Un Certain Regard Prize

BLACK DOG

by Guan Hu

Jury Prize

L’HISTOIRE DE SOULEYMANE

by Boris Lojkine

Best Director Prize ex-aequo

ROBERTO MINERVINI

for The Damned

RUNGANO NYONI

for On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Best Performance by an Actress

ANASUYA SENGUPTA

in The Shameless

Best Performance by an Actor

ABOU SANGARÉ

in L’Histoire de Souleymane

Youth Award

HOLY COW

by Louise Courvoisier

1st film

Special Mention

NORAH

by Tawfik Alzaidi

1st film

Caméra d’or

ARMAND

Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel

Un Certain Regard

Special Mention

MONGREL

Wei Liang Chiang & You Qiao Yin

La Cinef

First Prize

SUNFLOWERS WERE THE FIRST ONES TO KNOW…

Chidananda S Naik

Joint Second Prize

OUT THE WINDOW THROUGH THE WALL

Asya Segalovich

THE CHAOS SHE LEFT BEHIND

Nikos Kolioukos

Third Prize

BUNNYHOOD

Mansi Maheshwari

Meet the 77th Festival winners - Festival de Cannes

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2024/a-la-rencontre-des-laureats-du-77e-festival/

See the films of the Official Selection 2024 - Festival de Cannes

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-films-of-the-official-selection-2024/

ORAH is the Opening Film of the 12th Annual Africa International Film Festival in Nigeria

Announcing the Opening Film: ORAH Opens AFRIFF 2023🎥

AFRIFF to open 12th Edition with Lonzo Nzekwe’s Powerful Crime Thriller ORAH  in keeping with the Festival’s Theme on “Indigenous 2.0 Global

October 26, 2023

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) has announced its 12th edition, happening from the 5th to the 11th of 2023, in Lagos, Nigeria. In keeping with the festival's tradition, AFRIFF’s Founder and Festival Director, Chioma Ude, has announced the film ORAH as its opening night movie, a bold step to drive home its theme for the 2023 edition of Indigenous 2.0 Global before the participating Nigerian and international movie enthusiasts who will grace the festival’s annual opening gala night.

ORAH is written and directed by acclaimed Nigerian/Canadian filmmaker Lonzo Nzekwe (Anchor Baby). Produced by Nzekwe, Floyd Kane (Diggstown), and Amos Adetuyi (The Boathouse), the film was shot in Canada and the Federal Republic of Nigeria in late 2022. Speaking in anticipation of the Festival,  Chioma Ude said,

“Filmmaking is evolving rapidly in Africa, with Nigeria at the forefront of the renaissance, and this year’s edition is designed to continue to reiterate the opportunities for African films and storytelling to reflect ‘global’ perspectives for the sustained success of more local films globally. We intend to continue to empower our storytellers to explore ideologies and techniques that connect with a larger global audience. ORAH is positioned as the open-night movie to drive this expectation.” 

A character-driven crime thriller, Orah showcases the story of a female taxi driver in Toronto embarking on a revenge tour to avenge the death of her son, who is brutally murdered by a high-profile Nigerian criminal in a drug trafficking operation. Starring Oyin Oladejo as Orah Madukaku (Star Trek: Discovery), additional cast members include Lucky Onyekachi Ejim (Kim’s Convenience) as Bami Hazar; Agape Mngomezulu as Tariq Hazar (The Parker Andersons); Morgan Bedard (Hard Rock Medical) as Eli Pope; Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama (Titans) as Lace; Oris Erhuero (We Were Once) as Agent Garuba; O.C. Ukeje (Brotherhood) as Agent Uche Odi; Femi Lawson (Because We Are) as Jimoh Sholola; and Christopher Seivright (Take Note) as Vincent Bailey.

Developed over the course of 11 years, director and screenwriter Lonzo Nzekwe was “very grateful to finally begin shooting with the talented cast and crew assembled and honoured to be able to shoot part of the film in Nigeria, which plays such a key role,” he shared during principal photography. In Nzekwe’s words, I set out to create a tragically gripping and gratifying crime thriller with a gritty look that gives the audience a visceral, authentic experience of the life of our hero and her journey to avenge the death of her son. The exceptional talent of the actors cast in each role truly brings the story to life.

Not only does the script offer a strong and smart female role model in the lead role, but the supporting characters are well-rounded with traits of real, everyday people drawn from diverse ethnic backgrounds and walks of life. I hope that ORAH’s themes of justice versus revenge, redemption, freedom, corruption, and family separation will have a lasting impact on its viewers and inspire them in a positive way. As a Nigerian-born Canadian filmmaker, I felt I was uniquely qualified to tell this story of an illegal immigrant who was smuggled into Canada and sold into sex trafficking at age 15 by her uncle.

The film was shot in and around Sudbury, Ontario, in the fall of 2022, with additional principal photography taking place in Lagos, Nigeria, in December 2022. With cinematography for ORAH by Ricardo Diaz (Subjects of Desire), production design by Mark Kowalsky (Frat Pack), costume design by Chantel Bedward (Stupid For You), editing by Marc Roussel (Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities), and music by Felipe Téllez (Tomorrow).

ORAH is produced by Circle Blue Entertainment and Freddie Films in association with IronFlix Inc., with the participation of Telefilm Canada, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), and ONCreates Film Fund. Level Film is the Canadian distributor.

Signed

Latasha Ngwube

Director PR & Media

for AFRIFF 2023

ABOUT AFRIFF

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) is an international film showcase in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos. It presents a complete immersion into the world of filmmaking with participation from all over Africa and the Diaspora. Founded in 2010 by Ms Chioma Ude, an ardent film lover and entrepreneur, the festival is positioned to be the biggest annual appointment for African filmmakers in the region, celebrating the best African films and stories.

Our programming is themed around African films, filmmakers and African cinematic impulses making the rounds in the international film circuit in categories such as feature, shorts, student shorts, documentary and animation.

2023 Cannes Film Festival: Official Selection

The 76th edition of the festival will run May 16-27.

Official Selection 2023

Competition

Opening Film

• Jeanne du Barry, Maiwenn

• A Brighter Tomorrow, Nanni Moretti
• About Dry Grasses, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
• Anatomy Of A Fall, Justine Triet
• Asteroid City, Wes Anderson
• Banel Et Adama, Ramata-Toulaye Sy
• Club Zero, Jessica Hausner
• Fallen Leaves, Aki Kaurismaki
• Firebrand, Karim Aïnouz
• Four Daughters, Kaouther Ben Hania
• Jeunesse, Wang Bing
• Kidnapped, Marco Bellocchio
• La Chimera, Alice Rohrwacher
• La Passion De Dodin Bouffant, Tran Anh Hung
• Last Summer, Catherine Breillat
• May December, Todd Haynes
• Monster, Hirokazu Kore-eda
• The Old Oak, Ken Loach
• Perfect Days, Wim Wenders
• The Zone Of Interest, Jonathan Glazer

Out Of Competition

• Cobweb, Kim Jee-Woon
• The Idol, Sam Levinson
• Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, James Mangold
• Jeanne du Barry, Maiwenn (opening film)
• Killers Of The Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese

Midnight Screenings

• Acide, Just Philippot
• Kennedy, Anurag Kashyap
• Omar La Fraise, Elias Belkeddar

Cannes Premiere

• Bonnard, Pierre And Marthe, Martin Provost
• Cerrar Los Ojos (Fermer Les Yeux), Victor Erice
• Kubi, Takeshi Kitano
• Le Temps D’aimer, Katell Quillévéré

Special Screenings

• Le Bruit Du Temps, Anselm Kiefer, Wim Wenders
• Man In Black, Wang Bing
• Occupied City, Steve McQueen
• Pictures Of Ghosts, Kleber Mendonça Filho

Un Certain Regard

• The Breaking Ice, Anthony Chen
• The Buriti Flower, João Salaviza, Renée Nader Messora
• The Delinquents, Rodrigo Moreno
• Goodbye Julia, Mohamed Kordofani
• Hopeless, Kim Chang-hoon
• How To Have Sex, Molly Manning Walker
• If Only I Could Hibernate, Zoljargal Purevdash
• Le Regne Animal, Thomas Cailley (UCR opening film)
• Les Meutes, Kamal Lazraq
• The Mother Of All Lies, Asmae El Moudir
• The New Boy, Warwick Thornton
• Omen, Baloji Tshiani
• Rien À Perdre, Delphine Deloget
• Rosalie, Stephanie di Giusto
• The Settlers, Felipe Gálvez
• Simple Comme Sylvain, Monia Chokri
• Terrestrial Verses, Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
  

"Triangle of Sadness" Wins the Palme d'Or of 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival of France ended Saturday night with all the glitz and razzmatazz of the most prestigious international film festival in the world.

Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund  won the coveted Palme d'Or at the 75th annual Cannes Film for his  satirical drama, "Triangle of Sadness".

Östlund won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2017 with "The Square".

List of All the Winners

Palme d’Or: “Triangle of Sadness” by Ruben Östlund

Grand Prix: “Close” by Lukas Dhont and “Stars at Noon” by Claire Denis

Special Prize for Cannes’ 75th anniversary: Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes, “Tori and Lokita”

Jury Prize: “Eo” and “Le Otto Montagne”

Best Actress: Zar Amir Ebrahimi, “Holy Spider”

Best Actor: Song Kang Ho, “Broker”

Best Director: Park Chan-wook, “Decision to Leave”

Best Screenplay: “Boy from Heaven”

Camera d’Or: “War Pony,” directed by Gina Gammell and Riley Keough

Short Film Palme d’Or: “The Water Murmurs”

The Best Films from Africa and its Diasporas Come to the 19th Edition of the Tarifa African Film Festival

The Best Films from Africa and its Diasporas Come to the 19th Edition of the Tarifa African Film Festival

This event will be held from 27 May to 3 June in the Andalusian town of Tarifa, a cross-border town between Morocco and Spain.

The opening film is the Nigerien film Walking on Water, the closing film is the Somali film The Gravedigger's Wife.

Tarifa, May 2022. The Tarifa African Film Festival celebrates its 19th edition with an official session made up of films from Tunisia, Sao Tome and Principe, Ethiopia, Egypt, Benin, Reunion, Rwanda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, French Guiana, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar and Angola, as well as two major retrospectives, one dedicated to the links between cinema and literature and the other focusing on the Egyptian filmmaker Atteyat Al Abnoudy.

The two great retrospectives of the Tarifa African Film Festival

The big bet of this edition will be Entre la tinta y la pantalla, a parallel section that delves into the relationship between literature and cinema, through sixteen titles produced from the 1960s to the present day that cover countries such as Senegal, Mozambique, South Africa, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Angola, Morocco and Afro-Cuban descent. Among the filmmakers present in this section, some historical ones stand out, such as Ousmane Sembène (Senegal), Med Hondo (Mauritania) or Djibril Diop Mambéty (Senegal); as well as other contemporary ones, such as Dani Kouyaté (Burkina Faso) or Mariano Bartolomeu (Angola), among others. As for literary authors, we find classics such as Naguib Mahfuz (Egypt), an emblematic figure of the new Arab novel, Abdoulaye Mamani (Níger), Moussa Diagana (Mauritania), Assia Djebar (Algeria, literary pseudonym of Fatema Zohra), Malek Alloula (Algeria) and Mia Couto (Mozambique), one of today's most important authors. 

The FCAT dedicates a major retrospective to the Egyptian filmmaker Atteyat Al Abnoudy (1939-2018), considered the "mother of the Egyptian documentary" and one of the pioneering directors in the Arab world. Nicknamed "filmmaker of the poor", her decision to film people in a daily life of hard work and precariousness was a scandal at a time when film was perceived as a propaganda weapon by the authorities. 

FCAT official sessions: 20 titles from 18 African countries

The African presence at the major international festivals provided a great harvest of films from the continent. The official feature film section of the FCAT, called Hypermetropia, offers films from Rwanda, Tunisia, Egypt, Haiti, Mali, Benin, Reunion, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and, for the first time, a film from Sao Tome. 

The ten titles in Hypermetropia are among the most daring on a formal level and imbued with great visual poetry. Most of them are works by young filmmakers, films that dialogue with each other on the issues of exile, from the dream of an idealised place (Faya Dayi, by Jessica Beshir, Ethiopia) to the uprooting, the violence of the host country (Lèv la tèt dann fenwar, by Erika Étangsalé, La Réunion). Another theme is the struggle for dignity (Xaraasi Xanne, by Malians Bouba Touré and Raphaël Grisey). 

Films that propose a representation of women far from clichés (Black Medusa, by Ismaël and Youssouf Chebbi, Tunisia), of their emancipation and empowerment (Feathers, by Omar El Zohairy, Egypt) and (Freda, by Gessica Géneus, a film from Haiti and Benin), but also highlighting the necessary liberation of men from their own mental shackles (Une histoire d'amour et désir, by Tunisian Leyla Bouzid).

Films that revisit the traumas and forgotten episodes of history (the documentary Constelaçoes do Equador, by Silas Tiny, the first film from Sao Tome and Principe in the FCAT); a portrait of the concerns and aspirations of youth (Nous, étudiants! by Rafiki Fariala, from the Central African Republic); or the screening of an Afrofuturist, anti-colonialist, anti-capitalist and queer vision of the continent (Neptune Frost, by Rwandans Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman). 

África en breve, the competitive short film section continues to be an incubator of talent on the African continent, with titles dealing with colonial violence (Écoutez le battement de nos images, by Audrey & Maxime Jean-Baptiste, French Guiana), colonial representation (Kapita, by Petna Ndaliko, Democratic Republic of Congo) and resistance to colonial domination (Mangrove School, by Filipa César & Sónia Vaz Borges, Guinea Bissau, Portugal).

Also, the violence of war (Vou Mudar a Cozinha, by Ondjaki, Angola), gender violence (Imuhira, by Myriam Uwiragiye, Rwanda) and (Microbus, by Maggie Kamal, Egypt); the emotional violence of leaving childhood (Astel, by Ramata-Toulaye, Senegal) and the violence of exile and uprooting (Egúngún, by Olive Nwosu, Nigeria). Comedy is also present in this selection, through the meta-cinema in an international premiere (The Unusual Kinky Quaint Peculiar Weird Strange Rum Queer Odd and Bizarre Day of a Shadow Man, by Hary Joel, French Guiana) or magical realism (Precious Hair & Beauty, by John Ogunmuyiwa).

Additionally, outside the official competition is La tercera raíz, a section dedicated to Afro-descendants. The 19th edition of the festival will be dominated by films from the Dominican Republic, where the cultural legacy of Africa is present in all areas of people’s life. 

The opening and closing film of the 19th edition of the festival 

The opening film of this year's festival, the documentary Marcher sur l'eau (Aïssa Maïga, 2021), a co-production between Niger and France, is set in the village of Tatiste in Niger, where Houlaye, a 14-year-old teenager, and other children travel kilometres to fetch the water the village needs to survive. The closing film, The gravedigger's wife (Khadar Ayderus Ahmed, 2021), a Somali film presented at the Cannes Critics' Week, will be screened on Friday, 3 June, after the prize-giving ceremony of the 19th FCAT. A tender portrait of an African couple facing a health problem. 

The poster, the work of the Italian-Senegalese artist Maïmouna Guerresi 

This year's poster was created by Maïmouna Guerresi, an Italian-Senegalese multimedia artist whose work is steeped in Sufi spirituality. The work, which belongs to her series Aïsha in Wonderland, brings a feminine energy to this powerful image that alludes to "cultural and spiritual crossbreeding".

Industry and training at FCAT

The FCAT LAB post-production workshop, which offers support for featured films from Africa in the form of prizes, will once again be active at this year's edition. The FCAT LAB 2022 will take place in online format as part of the actions programmed in the Tree of Words, the space dedicated to the professional and training activities of the African Film Festival-FCAT. 

For its part, the Instituto de la Cinematografía y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA) will organise a showcase in Tarifa, where five Spanish companies representing post-production services will present themselves to African producers and directors both in person and via streaming. 

The Aula de cine will also take place, under the title Relatos ensoñados. El arte narrativo en los cines africanos, an in-depth course on the evolution and characteristics of African cinema, given by the programmer and film critic Javier H. Estrada (Spain). All the filmmakers that will be analysed in the Aula share an iconoclastic spirit, authentic aesthetic renovators who also observed the realities of their countries with a profoundly critical eye. During four sessions, cinematographies such as those of Mali, Egypt, Tunisia and Angola will be addressed, highlighting their past and present relevance.

The Festival de Cine Africano-FCAT is the most important film festival of the continent and of African descent in the Spanish-speaking world and has a film collection of more than a thousand titles translated into Spanish.

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For more information you can contact the communication office: 

Marta Jiménez: gabineteprensa@fcat.es

Valeria Reyes: comunicacion3@fcat.es

                             

Nollywood : Between The Palme d'Or and Netflix d'Or

Nollywood : Between The Palme d'Or and Netflix d'Or

Well, if #Nollywood movies cannot qualify for the Official Selection for the competition for the Palme d'Or at the annual Cannes Film Festival in France, they have qualified for the Originals Selection of the #Netflix on the world wide web.

It would be great to have an annual Netflix Awards where Nigerian movies can make the Official Selection for competition for a Netflix d'Or.

If after more than 20 -30 years of making movies and your greatest achievement is having your movies on Netflix while your fellow filmmakers in other African countries are competing with the best filmmakers in the world in the Official Selection of the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival coming up from May 17 - May 28, 2022, is still better, because you to have something to cheer about than have nothing to brag about.

Cheers!

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,
The Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry since 2013.

Over 1, 426 Nigerian Movies Produced in 2021 and None Selected for the 94th Annual Academy Awards

Over 1, 426 Nigerian Movies Produced in 2021 and None Selected for the 94th Annual Academy Awards

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) said entries submitted by Nigerian filmmakers did not meet the eligibility rules.

 "After a series of deliberations by the Committee members, we regret to announce that there won’t be submission of film to represent the country for the 94th Academy Awards. This is due to the fact that the films received so far for screening failed the eligibility rule test set by the Academy,” said the NOSC.

Once again, Nigerian filmmakers have disappointed Nigeria. From disqualification for failing to meet the eligibility criteria in 2019 to failing to make the short list for the nominations in 2020; Nigerian filmmakers continue lagging behind other African countries in competition for the most coveted awards for the best films in the world with Somalia and six other African countries on the final list of the official submissions for the Best International Feature Film of the 94th annual Academy Awards.

The following is the official final list.

ALBANIA – Two Lions Heading to Venice / Dy Luanë drejt Venecias (Jonid Jorgji)

ALGERIA – Héliopolis / (هليوبوليس) / (Haliyūbūlīs) (Djafar Gacem)

ARGENTINA – The Intruder / El Prófugo (Natalia Meta)

ARMENIA – Should the Wind Drop / Երբ որ քամին հանդարտվի / Si le vent tombe (Nora Martirosyan)

AUSTRALIA – When Pomegranates Howl (Granaz Moussavi)

AUSTRIA – Great Freedom / Große Freiheit (Sebastian Meise)

BANGLADESH – Rehana / রেহানা মরিয়ম নূর / Rehana Maryam Noor (Abdullah Mohammad Saad)

BELGIUM – Playground / Un monde (Laura Wandel)

BOLIVIA – The Great Movement / El Gran Movimiento (Kiro Russo)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – The White Fortress / Tabija (Igor Drljaca)

BRAZIL – Private Desert / Deserto Particular (Aly Muritiba)

BULGARIA – Fear / Страх (Milko Lazarov)

CAMBODIA – White Building / ប៊ូឌីញ ស (Ivaylo Hristov)

CANADA – Drunken Birds / Les oiseaux ivres (Ivan Grbovic)

CHILE – White on White / Blanco en blanco (Theo Court)

COLOMBIA – Memoria (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

COSTA RICA – Clara Sola (Nathalie Álvarez Mesén)

CROATIA – Tereza37 (Danilo Šerbedžija)

CZECH REPUBLIC – Zátopek (David Ondříček)

DENMARK – Flee / Flugt (Jonas Poher Rasmussen)

ECUADOR – Sumergible (Alfredo León León)

EGYPT – Souad / سعاد (Ayten Amin)

ESTONIA – On the Water / Vee peal (Peeter Simm)

FINLAND – Compartment No. 6 / Hytti nro 6 (Juho Kuosmanen)

FRANCE – Titane (Julia Ducournau)

GEORGIA – Brighton 4th / მეოთხე ბრაიტონი (Levan Koguashvili)

GERMANY – I’m Your Man / Ich bin dein Mensch (Maria Schrader)

GREECE – Digger (Georgis Grigorakis)

HONG KONG – Zero to Hero / 媽媽的神奇小子 (Jimmy Wan)

HUNGARY – Post Mortem (Péter Bergendy)

ICELAND – Lamb / Dýrið (Valdimar Jóhannsson)

INDIA – Pebbles / கூழாங்கல் / Koozhangal (P.S. Vinothraj)

INDONESIA – Yuni (Kamila Andini)

IRAN – A Hero / قهرمان (Asghar Farhadi)

IRELAND – Foscadh (Seán Breathnach)

ISRAEL – Let It Be Morning / ויהי בוקר, ليكن صباحا (Eran Kolirin)

ITALY – The Hand of God / È stata la mano di Dio (Paolo Sorrentino)

JAPAN – Drive My Car /ドライブ・マイ・カー / Doraibu mai kā (Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

KENYA – Mission to Rescue (Gilbert Lukalia)

KOSOVO – Hive / Zgjoi (Blerta Basholli)

KYRGYZSTAN – Shambala / Шамбала (Artykpai Suyundukov)

LATVIA – The Pit / Bedre (Dace Pūce)

LEBANON – Costa Brava, Lebanon / كوستابرافا (Mounia Akl)

LITHUANIA – The Jump / Šuolis (Giedrė Žickytė)

LUXEMBOURG – Io sto bene (Donato Rotunno)

MALAWI – Fatsani: A Tale of Survival (Gift Sukez Sukali)

MALAYSIA – Hail, Driver! / Prebet Sapu (Muzzamer Rahman)

MALTA – Luzzu (Alex Camilleri)

MEXICO – Prayers for the Stolen / Noche de fuego (Tatiana Huezo)

MONTENEGRO – After the Winter / Poslije zime (Ivan Bakrač)

MOROCCO – Casablanca Beats / علّي صوتك (Nabil Ayouch)

NETHERLANDS – Do Not Hesitate (Shariff Korver)

NORTH MACEDONIA – Sisterhood / Сестри (Sestri) (Dina Duma)

NORWAY – The Worst Person in the World / Verdens verste menneske (Joachim Trier)

PALESTINE – The Stranger / الغريب / Al Garib (Ameer Fakher Eldin)

PANAMA – Plaza Catedral (Abner Benaim)

PERU – Powerful Chief / Manco Cápac (Henry Vallejo)

POLAND – Leave No Traces / Żeby nie było śladów (Jan P. Matuszyński)

PORTUGAL – The Metamorphisis of Birds / A Metamorfose dos Pássaros (Catarina Vasconcelos)

ROMANIA – Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn / Babardeală cu bucluc sau porno balamuc (Radu Jude)

RUSSIA – Unclenching the Fists / Разжимая кулаки / Razzhimaya kulaki (Kira Kovalenko)

SERBIA – Oasis / Оаза (Ivan Ikić)

SINGAPORE – Precious Is The Night / 今宵多珍重 (Wayne Peng)

SLOVAKIA – 107 Mothers / Cenzorka (Péter Kerekes)

SLOVENIA – Sanremo (Miroslav Mandić)

SOMALIA – The Gravedigger’s Wife (Khadar Ayderus Ahmed)

SOUTH KOREA – Escape from Mogadishu / 모가디슈 / Mogadisyu (Ryoo Seung-wan)

SPAIN – The Good Boss / El buen patrón (Fernando León de Aranoa)

SWEDEN – Tigers / Tigrar (Ronnie Sandahl)

SWITZERLAND – Olga (Elie Grappe)

TAIWAN – The Falls / 瀑布 (Chung Mong-hong)

THAILAND – The Medium / ร่างทรง / Rang Song (Banjong Pisanthanakun)

TUNISIA – Golden Butterfly / فرططو الذهب / Papillon d’Or (Abdelhamid Bouchnak)

TURKEY – Commitment Hasan / Bağlılık Hasan (Semih Kaplanoğlu)

UKRAINE – Bad Roads / Погані дороги / Plokhiye dorogi (Nataliia Vorozhbyt)

URUGUAY – The Broken Glass Theory / La teoría de los vidrios rotos (Diego Fernández)

VENEZUELA – The Inner Glow / Un destello interior (Andrés Eduardo Rodríguez, Luis Alejandro Rodríguez)

The most likely Nigerian film that would have been eligible is the historical epic, "Amina" by Izu Ojukwu, but it is in English and not in the Hausa language of the original story.

The fact that the great opportunity to produce "Queen Amina" in the Hausa language was missed by the producers is a big disappointment, because the film directed by Izu Ojukwu would have fulfilled the criteria for the eligibility and most likely make the short list of the nominations for the Best International Feature Film category. But the producers were more interested in fulfilling the eligibility for Netflix than the eligibility for the Academy Awards.

Having a movie on Netflix is now the most coveted thing for majority of Nigerian filmmakers and not the qualifications for the Academy Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival.

They celebrate making it to Netflix like winning a million dollar lottery.

But Netflix pays more for the movies of South African, American, European, Asian and Arabian filmmakers than Nigerian filmmakers, because they know that there is a surplus of Nigerian movies selling cheap with their lower budgets and lower standards of filmmaking.

The producers of "Amina" were grinning excitedly like children who have been given Christmas presents in November before the Christmas day comes up in December while their fellow African filmmakers were competing and winning highly esteemed awards at the 27th biennial FESPACO in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and fulfilling the eligibility criteria for the Best International Feature Film category of the 94th annual Academy Awards.

I congratulated the producers of "Amina", to commend their efforts, but majority of the critics said the film on the legendary Warrior,  Queen Amina of Zazzau in northern Nigeria should have been in Hausa language and subtitled in English. Yes. And that means the real historical film on Queen Amina has not been done.

I prefer that the film should feature the best actors in Kannywood, the Hausa language sector of the Nigerian film industry. And it should be a national film project of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) which is part of the statutory functions and should be in the priorities of the Steering Committee for the Reform and Commercialisation of the Corporation.

The 94th annual Academy Awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), will honor the best films released since March 1, 2021, and is scheduled to take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on March 27, 2022.

- By EKENYERENGOZI Michael Chima,

Publisher/Editor,

NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series 

247 Nigeria (@247nigeria) / Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/247nigeria

https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima,

https://angel.co/u/michael-chima-ekenyerengozi 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelchimaeyerengozi

AFRIFF Announces Seasoned Entertainment Executive as Creative Director for its 10th Anniversary Edition

AFRIFF Announces Seasoned Entertainment Executive as Creative Director for its 10th Anniversary Edition

 

AFRIFF Announces Seasoned Entertainment Executive as Creative Director for its 10th Anniversary Edition

Lagos, Nigeria –    29/10/2021

Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) today announced seasoned global entertainment executive, Jenny Alonzo, as Creative Director for its 10th anniversary edition

The move comes as AFRIFF continues to solidify itself as Africa’s most innovative film festival, celebrating African content, film making and a unique platform for the many stories Africa has to share with the world. AFRIFF is focused on building the necessary bridge with the rest of the world.

Jenny Alonzo is a recognized leader in content, marketing, and the multicultural markets across all platforms—film, television, digital— and is an advisor to C-Level executives on the ‘super consumers,’ a segment often referred to as multicultural. She has worked on some of the strongest brands in international media, including NBC, The Wall Street Journal, and NUVOtv/FUSE, where she spearheaded the go-to-market strategy for the network’s partnership with global icon Jennifer Lopez.  Most notably, Alonzo was a member of the executive team that launched Lifetime Television and its ground-breaking market positioning of Television for Women.

Alonzo has been an advocate for diverse storytelling and representation throughout her career. She was a two-term member of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) inaugural Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age, served on Nielsen’s Advisory Council, Volvo/Jaguar/LandRover’s Advisory Council, is currently on the Board of Governors for St. John’s University, and is Chair of the Board for circlearound.com. 

Jenny Alonzo has been featured as a Broadcasting & Cable Fifth Estater, in The New York Times, Diversity Inc., Black Enterprise, and El Diario/LaPrensa. She has moderated and participated on highly visible panels at major conferences, including NCTA, CTAM, PROMAX, Black Enterprise’s Women of Power Summit, Congressional Caucuses, corporate events, and film festivals.

“I’m both humbled and excited to be working with Chioma Ude on AFRIFF. This festival is a hidden gem. AFRIFF has been a champion for African filmmakers and Chioma’s mission to amplify and elevate the stories about Africa, Africans, and its Diaspora is right in line with what my brand represents—telling and amplifying stories about women and diverse markets that continue to lead global growth. I am proud to be working with someone who demonstrates a commitment to paying-it-forward and to opening doors for those with limited access, which is still a huge problem in filmmaking and entertainment. 

Alonzo, continued, “Africa is truly the richest continent in the world and yet the stories we see paint a different picture. AFRIFF is doing everything it can to change that by providing a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and for buyers to experience authentically rich stories they can bring to the world. Chioma is on a mission to ensure AFRIFF becomes the “must attend” film festival of Africa. I’m honoured to join her on this mission,” stated Alonzo. 

AFRIFF takes pride in celebrating some of the best films in Africa in the Feature, Documentary and Short category through careful selection by its Creative Director and International Jury. This year, about 4,000 films have been submitted in all the categories and the selection process for films that will screen at the festival is currently on going. REGISTER FOR AFRIFF.

ABOUT AFRIFF

The Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) conceived by Ms Chioma Ude is a world class showcase that presents a complete immersion into the world of film making with participation from local and international, actors, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, sound engineers, musicians, editors, light engineers, students, equipment manufacturers and businesspeople. 

The objectives are to develop the film industry to a level where the products compete favourably with their contemporaries all over world; provide a growth opportunity for these film industry professionals to eventually export their products to the world; facilitate access to investors, equipment, technical and skill acquisition through several capacity development workshops; complement government’s efforts at revamping small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).

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AFRIFF Announces the Programme for the 10th Anniversary

AFRIFF Announces the Programme for the 10th Anniversary Edition

Press parley of the 10th anniversary edition of the annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) held on Thursday October 7, 2021 at Terra Kulture on Victoria Island, Lagos. The most dynamic and vibrant International film festival in Africa begins from November 7-13 at the Landmark Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos.

Jenny Alonzo, the Creative Director for the 10th Anniversary Edition of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) spoke at the event via a video message.

The Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF, Chioma Ude introduced the members of the Organising Committee and announced the programme of events, including the opening film ,"Encounter" by Michael Pearce. The sci-fi mystery thriller is about " a decorated Marine who goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from a mysterious threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the boys will need to leave their childhoods behind." View the official trailer on 

https://youtu.be/mJzNtZlxaJk

The closing film is "Collision" by Bolanle Austen-Peters.

She also announced that AFRIFF has selected 1000 Nigerians to be trained on Animation and Gaming at the AFRIFF Academy with 15 of the best projects in animation to be sponsored by Disney for film productions.

Landmark Centre,
Plot 2-3 Water Corporation Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.