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=FESPACO=

FESPACO is the largest African film festival.
FESPACO (2003), the Pan-African film and television Festival of Ouagadougou is the biggest regular cultural event on the African continent. It mostly focuses on the African film and filmmakers. It is known in French as “Le Festival Pan-Africain du Cinema et de la Television de Ouagadougou”, Ouagadougou being the capital of Burkina Faso. The festival is for film industry professionals offering them the chance to establish working relationships, exchange of ideas and to promote their work. FESPACO’s stated aim is to “contribute to the expansion and development of African cinema as means of expression, education and awareness-raising”. For one week every two years, the FESPACO starts two weeks after the last Saturday of February with the opening night in “Stade du 4Aout” which is the national stadium.

Date of creation
Created in 1969, the Pan-African film and television festival of Ouagadougou has evolved into an internationally recognized and respected event in not only the African continent but in the world at large.

Creator of FESPACO
Alimata Salambere, a cultural minister from 1987 to 1991 was one of the founders of FESPACO. The beginning of the FESPACO was not easy but due to the help of foreign people and organizations, the press, and the government of Burkina Faso, FESPACO became an international event and has become a place where important intellectual discussions are being held. Such discussions include the evolution of African cinema. One of FESPACO’s program was MICA (the international market of cinema and African television ) which is the first African international film and television market, organized in 1983 at the premises of “Hotel Silmande”.

FESPACO changing
Born in 1969, FESPACO has a great historical background. The festival started in 1969 through the efforts of few serious film enthusiasts in Ouagadougou (Alimata Salambere 2001). It inspired ordinary citizens and filmmakers alike and FESPACO became an institution by governmental decree on January 7th, 1972. In that year, the first official winner of the best film award was “Le Wazzou Polygame” by Oumarou Ganda of Niger. Since then, the best film award has been won by directors from Cameroon, Morocco, Mali, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana and DR Congo. Over the past 34 years, the citizens of Burkina Faso have welcomed visitors from across the continent and beyond. From 1985 onward the festival adopted different themes for the event, starting with “the cinema, people, and liberation”. The theme for 2007’s festival is “the actor in the creation and promotion of African films”.

Evolution from 1969 to 2006
At its creation in 1969, only five African countries; Senegal, Upper Volta (Burkina Faso), Ivory Coast, Niger and Cameroon was represented, and also France and the Netherlands, and only 23films were shown. At its second edition, the participant countries rose from five to nine, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Niger, Senegal, Mali, Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) and Ghana and 40 films were shown this time (FESPACO 2003). At its third edition in 1972, the name of the festival became FESPACO (Festival Pan-Africain du Cinema et de la Television de Ouagadougou). The festival, in 1983, included MICA (le Marche International du Cinema et de la television Africaine) which is a market for African film stock and video footage. The four general secretaries of FESPACO since 1972 are: Mr. Louis Tombiano from 1972 to 1982, Mrs. Alimata Salembere from 1982 to 1984, Mr. Filippe Sawadogo from 1984 to 1996 and Mr. Baba Hama from 1996 to now. As the festival became important, its budget and sponsors increased and now the donor countries are Burkina Faso, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Republic of China, and the donor organizations are: AIF(ACCT), PNUD, UNESCO, UNICEF, European Union and AFRICALIA. The growth of the FESPACO is also remarkable in the participating countries which grew from five countries in 1969 to nine countries in 1970, and almost all the African countries nowadays. By its international recognition today, the FESPACO permits African filmmakers to show their talents and sell their products in the international market. .

An African international film and television market
The pan-African film and television festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) is a festival which promotes the African filmmakers and facilitates the screening of all African films. This unique festival in Africa enables contacts and exchange between film and audiovisual professionals of Africa and also contributes to the expansion and development of African cinema as a means of expression, education and awareness rising.. .

African film literacy
The publication of African cinema is done through catalogues, FESPACO news, FESPACO newsletter and an African film library where you can find film archives and data bank and a travelling cinema.”.

Publication of African cinema and culture
The publication of African cinema is done through catalogues, FESPACO news, FESPACO newsletter and an African film library where you can find film archives and data bank and a travelling cinema.Its competition of exclusively African films permits the increase of quality in African films and the performance of filmmakers.”.

Non profit screenings in rural areas
FESPACO also promotes the non-profit screenings in rural areas, in collaboration wit non-governmental organizations or associations in schools and other public or private institutions.”.

Promotion of African cinema in other international festivals
The Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou organize various film events such as the film week and the film premieres, and it promotes African cinema in other international festivals. The statue of Yennenga is the grand prize given for the best film with an interesting story..

General idea
Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou is an important and unique African film festival which permits the filmmakers to show their talent and their knowledge every two years. This important festival grew from the national recognition to the international recognition since its creation in 1969 in Ouagadougou. The activities of FESPACO help a lot of African filmmakers to have some sponsors and to promote their products.