The African Federation of Film Critics (Facc) is mobilized, strongly represented at the 28th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco) which is held in the Burkinabè capital from February 25 to March 04, 2023, under the theme "African cinemas and culture of peace". At the cost of individual and collective sacrifices.
In fact, about thirty film critics who are members of the Facc are in Ouagadougou, at the expense of personal investments, apart from the support for some of the departments in charge of cinema. Film criticism seems to be the sector left out of the sector, excluded from film funds. However, the contribution of film criticism is crucial for the film industry.
Guess the efforts, the investments, the sacrifices of the critics, women and men, who are currently at Fespaco.
A column in this issue of Africiné magazine, Fespaco 2023, gives you an idea of the sacrifices made by critics, young and old, to support cinemas on the continents.
Nevertheless, the Facc is currently implementing a series of activities in Ouagadougou to strengthen African film criticism and promote quality cinema in Africa and its diaspora. The Federation therefore wished to put its jury whose mission is to award the Paulin Soumanou Vieyra African Critics Prize to Fespaco 2023, a jury composed of: Bigué Bob (Senegal, president), Elise Manuela Kameni (Cameroon), Charles Ayetan (Togo), Harouna Simian and Mamadou Gnanou, both from Burkina Faso. Initiated by the Facc in 2009, the African Critics Prize has already been awarded to more than twenty films at Fespaco in other film festivals in Africa.
Juror selected by the Facc after a call for applications, Elise Manuela Kameni (Cameroon), is unfortunately not (yet) to date in Ouagadougou, for lack of the plane ticket, the only ticketpromised by the festival.
In addition to the Facc jury, a capacity building workshop for young film critics from different African countries is being undertaken for the production of the Africine magazine which will be distributed free of charge and for the publication of the articles on the webzine (www.africine.org).
On Tuesday, a round table was organized in tribute to Ousmane Sembène to commemorate the centenary of his birth under the theme "Sembène Ousmane and the critics: troubled or benevolent relationships (Testimonies)".
A General Assembly of the Facc will be held on Thursday, March 2 to evaluate and renew the organs of this pan-African network of more than 453 film critics in Africa and in the diaspora.
Charles Ayetan
Ouaga, March 1st, 2023
In collaboration with Fabiola Rutamu
Article first written for Africiné Magazine, Issue #1, Thursday 2 March 2023, page 01 /// 28th FESPACO
This (print edition) magazine is published by The African Federation of Film Critics (FACC / AFFC, Dakar).
With the support of Fespaco (Burkina Faso), Ascric-B (Burkina Faso), Direction of National Film (DCI, Senegal), Niger National Film Center (CNCN)
Directrice de Publication : Fatou Kiné SÈNE
Rédacteurs en Chef
Charles AYETAN
Thierno DIA
Comité de Rédaction
Abraham Bayili
Fatou Kiné Séne
Pélagie N'Gonana
Charles Ayetan
Yacouba Sangaré
Pierre Patrick TOUKO
Youssoufa HALIDOU HAROUNA
Victor KABRÉ
Fatoumata SAGNANE
Zeynabou ASSANE MOUMOUNI
Layout / Mise en page : Korotimi Sérémé
Printing / Impression : IGIP, +226 70 15 15 80
![Mami Wata [Dir. Fiery Obasi]](http://www.sudplanete.net/_uploads/images/films/OBASI_Fiery_2022_Mami-Wata_00_XLD.jpeg "Mami Wata [Dir. Fiery Obasi]")
