Renowned director, the Cameroonian filmmaker has already directed an international festival (dedicated to women).
"Narcisse Wandji is the only director who can boast having two films in official competition at this 15th edition of the Ecrans noirs festival [18/06/2011 - 25/06/2011]. Capronos (26mn, 2010) and 2011, rues des pays du Sud (3mn, 2011) are among the 29 films competing for the Screen of the short film", writes Stéphanie Dongmo, on 11/07/2011.
Twelve years later, at the beginning of May 2023, he was appointed Artistic Director of this festival which takes place in Yaoundé, now in July (after having been in June).
This is the first time that the position "Artistic Director" is formulated (in this way) by the Cameroonian festival Ecrans noirs. Previously Marcel ÉPÉE was Director of the Festival and Training (2009-2019). Françoise ELLONG-GOMEZ (director and screenwriter) contributed to the festival as Responsible for Programming, from 2016 onwards.
Narcisse WANDJI is a Cameroonian director and screenwriter. He has directed several films including Walls (2016, short film, starring Gérard Essomba), Bendskins - Mototaxi (2021, first feature film) and Sadrack (2023).
Bendskins - Mototaxi won the Best Cameroonian Film Award and the Best African Screenplay Award at the Ecrans Noirs Festival in Yaoundé Nov 2021. At the 6th edition of the Brussels International Film Festival (Dakar edition, Senegal | 15-18 Dec 2021), Danilo Melande (in the role of Sani) won the Best Actor Award.
As for Sadrack (2023), the second feature left the 23rd Khouribga International African Film Festival (FICAK, 06-13 May 2023) with the Samir Farid Screenplay Prize. Previously, he was nominated for FESPACO 2023.
"Lyrical and provocative, Narcisse WANDJI's cinema denounces the social difficulties of contemporary Africa. It addresses multiple topics such as the lack of social security in Africa and Cameroon in particular, immigration and education," stated the Cameroonian Film critic Martial Ebenezer Nguéa, in 2022.
Previously, Narcisse WANDJI was at the initiative of "MIS ME BINGA" ("Eyes of women"), the International Women's Film Festival of the Central African sub-region (Yaoundé, Cameroon), with comrades. He is also responsible for programming.
On Facebook, the very new Artistic Director wrote:
"Pleasant and difficult at the same time to ensure the Artistic direction of a Festival like ECRANS NOIRS. The stress of it…!
But I know one thing. A nice edition is coming. I'm already looking forward to it. Don't forget the dates: October 14 to 21, 2023. BAZOU OVERTAKES CAMEROON."
Thierno I. DIA
(Senegalese Film Critic Association | From the South)
