The Pan-African Film Festival opens its 23rd edition on Wednesday at Espace Miramar
Translated from French. From 21 to 25 October, the Cannes International Pan-African Film Festival screens more than 50 films from five continents at Espace Miramar, with conferences, concerts and a gala dinner at the Hôtel Martinez. Screenings are free for Cannes residents.
Translated from the French original. Lire en français
Cannes has one more film festival this week, and it lasts five days. The 23rd edition of the Cannes International Pan-African Film Festival (FIFP) opens on Wednesday 21 October at Espace Miramar, the venue that has hosted it since its creation according to its organisers, and it closes on Sunday 25 October. The official programme promises a packed first day: screenings begin at 12.30 pm, including “The Changing World of Moroccan Hammams”, “Of Mud and Blood”, “Jimmy Goes to Tropico” and “Le Talent d’Achille”, before the opening ceremony in the evening.
The festival is presented by the Nord Sud Développement association and chaired by Eitel Basile Ngangue Ebelle, its founder. The organisers trace their Cannes event back to 2004 and defend a constant line: making cinema the vehicle of a world of peace, respectful of differences and of the environment, in the words of their press kit. Each screening in the programme pairs a short film with a feature, and a discussion follows the projection when the film team is present. Films are subtitled in French or English, with dual subtitles when they are shot in another language.
More than 50 films and more than 60 countries announced
The press kit for the 2026 edition claims more than 50 films by independent filmmakers, more than 60 countries represented from five continents and more than 400 professionals from the culture, popular education, social and environment sectors. Around the screenings, the programme lines up more than 20 events: conferences, workshops, showcases and literary cafés, along with concerts and exhibitions. Works in competition vie for the Dikalo Awards, which honour feature and short fiction and documentary films, a peace prize and acting prizes.
A gala at the Martinez, a closing on Sunday
The festival's second venue is the Hôtel Martinez, on the Croisette, which hosts the gala dinner on Saturday 24 October. The organisers note that the proceeds of the evening are an essential resource for funding the festival, which is organised on a participatory model. The closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday 25 October at Espace Miramar, at the end of five days of screenings.
On the practical side, tickets are sold through the festival website, fifp.fr, and the organisers announce free admission for Cannes residents. For visiting festival-goers and for the Cannes public alike, Espace Miramar, at 35 rue Pasteur on the Croisette, remains the gateway to the edition: most screenings take place there, from the first session at midday on Wednesday to the closing on Sunday.
