Karine Barclais, founder of Pavillon Afriques, is calling for a stronger African presence at the Cannes Film Festival through a larger pavilion in the International Village. She highlights the need for filmmakers to submit their work to the festival. “If each African country submits five films yearly, breakthroughs are inevitable,” Barclais stated.
Pavillon Afriques occupies 100 square meters in the International Village, representing ten Sub-Saharan African countries, including the KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission from South Africa. “My objective is to have the same countries participate every year,” Barclais said. “Securing a pavilion is challenging because of limited space; a country must opt-out.”
Debuting in 2019 after Saudi Arabia vacated its space, Pavillon Afriques’ spot cost $90,000 this year from a $500,000 budget. Initially funded by private means, the pavilion this year is backed by Nigeria-based RedTV. Barclais is keen on African filmmakers and executives attending Cannes to elevate Sub-Saharan Africa’s film industry profile. “I want African professionals to take charge, engage in the pavilion’s financing, and bring their media.”
Highlighted Program Events
On May 18th, there was a panel discussing “The African Woman in the Cinema and the Creative Industries,” featuring notable speakers like Yolande Bogui and Sonia Zain. Additionally, there was a presentation on how film commissions can be a tool for industry development by Marjorie Galas from AFCI.
