The Cannes Film Festival is opening up for Africa

The Festival de Cannes visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support the launch of the Congolese National Film Center

 

In order to mark this event a press conference took place with Artistic Firector of Festival de Cannes Thierry Fremaux, Djia Mambu, journalist and film critic, Okapi Collective / Emmanuel Lupia Assani, producer, Okapi Collective / Théodore Nganzi, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Minister of Culture and the Arts, representative of the Minister / Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes / Dieudo Hamadi, director, producer and screenwriter, Okapi Collective / Macherie Ekwa, director, producer and screenwriter, Okapi Collective

 

From October 27 to 29, 2025, Kinshasa welcomed a delegation from the Festival de Cannes. 

 

Initiated by the Okapi Films Collective, this visit aimed to support the launch of the Congolese National Film Center. It is part of one of the festival’s core missions: to celebrate international cinema and to continue, throughout the year, meeting those who bring it to life. 

 

Through these actions, the Festival de Cannes continues its commitment to support film industries around the world and to foster intercultural dialogue.

 

Three days of meetings, discussions, and cinema

 

Several highlights marked this visit. On Tuesday, October 28, a press conference was held in the presence of representatives from the Ministries of Culture and Communication and Media of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Okapi Films Collective, which is working to develop a national film industry, and the Festival de Cannes.

 

On the same day, the delegation was received at the French Embassy in Kinshasa by Mr. Rémi Maréchaux, Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, alongside some forty professional guests, including members of APRO7, the Association of Professionals of the 7th Art in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The day continued with an evening screening of the 2025 Palme d'or winner, It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, before a full house.

 

The following day, Thierry Frémaux hosted a meeting at the National Institute of Arts (INA), which is welcoming its first class of film students and now offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in film.

 

The delegation was then received by Patrick Muyaya Katembwe, Minister of Communication and Media, in his office.

 

 

Presentation of the film It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, Palme d’Or 2025, by Djia Mambu, journalist & film critic, Okapi Collective, and Thierry Frémaux, General Delegate of the Festival de Cannes © Berclaire’Studio 

 

Thierry Frémaux: “The Democratic Republic of the Congo has all the resources it needs to become a land of cinema.”

 

At the end of these discussions, Thierry Frémaux praised the scope of the initiative undertaken by Congolese professionals, as well as the vitality of Congolese cinema: "The Festival aims to present films from around the world, made by artists rooted in their local realities. We believe it is important to go out and meet them, to talk to the players in the field and to discover emerging cinematic approaches. In Kinshasa, there is a strong sense of creative vitality and a desire to tell the story of the country through film. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has all the resources it needs to become a land of cinema, thanks to the political will that supports this ambition."

 

Dieudo Hamadi: “A strong signal for the recognition of Congolese cinema”

 

For Dieudo Hamadi, director, screenwriter, producer, and co-founder of the Okapi Films Collective, this visit marks an important step in the recognition of Congolese cinema: "The visit of the Festival de Cannes to Kinshasa is a strong signal. It gives visibility to our initiatives and reinforces our efforts to shape our cinema. Thanks to the symbolic and media reach of the festival, our voice can be heard more clearly, and our films can be distributed more widely. We hope that this collaboration will encourage the production of a growing number of films."

 

The Okapi Films Collective was created during the 78th Festival de Cannes, at the Pavillon des Cinémas du Monde, around Dieudo Hamadi, then a member of the jury. Composed of women and men, established and emerging filmmakers, it was born out of a shared ambition: to lay the foundations for a dynamic and internationally recognized Congolese film industry.

 

A lasting dialogue between Cannes and Kinshasa

 

Through this visit, the Festival de Cannes reaffirms its role as a committed cultural player and its commitment to assist film professionals in developing their initiatives and showcasing their work. This dialogue between Cannes and Kinshasa marks a new stage in promoting Congolese talent on the international scene and illustrates the festival’s desire to support creativity wherever it emerges.

 

The festival continues to open up to the world

 

The Festival de Cannes will continue its commitment to bringing films from the Official Selection to audiences around the world and engaging in dialogue with film industry professionals during the traditional “Festival de Cannes Film Week / Semana de Cine,” to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from November 24 to 30, 2025. That event will present a selection of films from the last Festival to the Argentine public.

 

It will be followed by the 17th annual “Ventana Sur,” Latin America's leading film and television marketplace, co-organized by the Cannes Marché du Film, which will also take place in Buenos Aires, from December 1 to 5, 2025.