Founder of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Chioma Ude has announced that the festival has become the first African film festival to be represented on the official “Goes to Cannes” platform at the Marché du Film in Cannes, France.
Speaking at the event, Ude described the achievement as “monumental not only for AFRIFF but for the continent of Africa as a whole.”
She said AFRIFF has spent the last 16 years promoting African storytelling through training, industry development and the showcasing of original voices across the continent.
“What began as a vision to create space for African cinema has grown into a platform that nurtures talent, builds careers, and connects our stories to the world,” she said.
Ude added that the recognition would help create more international co productions, wider global distribution and stronger cultural exchange between Africa and the rest of the world.
She also praised the five selected filmmakers who participated in the showcase, saying they had “worked tirelessly, developed their projects with intention and earned the opportunity to be in this room.”
The filmmaker thanked the Marché du Film and supporters of African storytelling, adding, “We are only just beginning.”
In an Instagram post shared on Sunday, Ude celebrated the milestone and congratulated participants including Hakym Reagan, Sutoritera, Dolly Nwaduba, Lillian Amah, Kay Jegede and Valencia Joshua.
“Yesterday was monumental not only for @afriff, but for the continent of Africa as a whole,” she wrote.
“As the first African film festival to represent the continent on the #GoesToCannes platform, we are proud to help open the doorway to greater international co-productions, wider global distribution, and deeper creative and cultural exchange between Africa and the rest of the world.”
Founded in 2010, AFRIFF is one of Africa’s leading film festivals and is held annually in Lagos. The festival focuses on film screenings, training programmes, networking sessions and industry development for African filmmakers.
According to organisers, AFRIFF has trained more than 10,000 young adults and also launched the AFRIFF Film and Content Market to connect filmmakers with investors, distributors and international partners.
The “Goes to Cannes” programme is organised by the Marché du Film, the official film market of the Cannes Film Festival. It gives selected festivals and film markets around the world an opportunity to showcase works in progress to distributors, sales agents and festival programmers.
Projects presented under the AFRIFF showcase this year include Family Secrets, Insight, Ashawo, Achalugo and The Boy and His King, with entries from Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa.
