“Some 6,000 People Will Unite Around Cameroon Cinema”

The Annual Cameroon International Film Festival is commemorating its 8th edition from April 22 – 27, 2024. What are the highlights of this year’s edition?
Structurally, this year’s festival maintains its traditional format in an intentional bid to keep its authenticity. The traditional format of the festival entails symposiums, workshops, platforms for exchange and networking opportunities alongside conversations around the Cameroon cinema ecosystem. Emphasis this year will be on our Masterclasses on the multiple cinema techniques with professionals in the sector. A cross section of international guests from Nigeria, Kenya, India, United States amongst others will grace their participation at this year’s edition. The guests will also have the opportunity to share their experiences with the local filmmaker and have an idea of the unique system of Anglo-Saxon cinema production. Another spotlight shall also be over 90 audio-visual works competing for the converted Grande prizes on excellence in cinema.

What does it take to organise such a festival each year?
CAMIFF valorises techniques of developing the aesthetic around cinema with little or no means. It is a philosophy enshrined deeply in the attitude and what is now a pattern of the years of success behind the Anglophone film culture. Filmmakers     around me have mastered the art and craft of producing quality movies with little or nothing! It is with same spirit that the festival has carried its essence despite the constant challenges of very little support from expected funders. The festival accrues expenditure on every edition running to close to FCFA 65 million annually. The cost covers feeding, lodging, screenings, logistics, décor, security and administrative running of the festival.

Is the festival achieving the purpose for which you created it?
The simplicity of the festival and its intent seems to belie the value and its outreach at first glance. The essence of the platform itself was to reinforce, invigorate, capitalise, and secure a future for the Cameroon cinema as a whole. Yearly, the successes of our films have visibly grown in quality and audience, but most importantly our pieces can rival with other major film industries in any part of the world in terms of knowledgeability, human resource and exchange programmes that...