YARHA International First Film Week (Semaine Internationale du Premier Film)

Overview

The YARHA International First Film Week (Semaine Internationale du Premier Film) is Cameroon's leading film festival. Created in 2013 by the YARA association, the festival is held annually in Yaounde and presents first and second feature films from directors around the world to Cameroonian audiences. The 11th edition ran January 19 to 26, 2025, on the esplanade of the Yaounde City Hall, under the theme "The Future of Cinema in Africa in the AI Era."

The festival is a professional platform where directors, actors, producers, and filmmakers present their debut or sophomore works. It is supported by Cameroon's Ministry of Arts and Culture (MINAC) and has welcomed guests including Aissa Maiga, Marie Philomene Nga, and Rahmatou Keita. The 11th edition screened 41 films (features, shorts, and documentaries) from 11 countries and awarded approximately 15 prizes.

Cameroon's dual official languages (French and English) and its history as both a French and British colonial territory give the festival a unique bicultural Anglophone-Francophone character. The country's extraordinary ecological and cultural diversity, with over 270 languages spoken across diverse ethnic groups, creates rich material for documentary and narrative filmmaking. Yaounde, as the capital and administrative center, provides a central location accessible to filmmakers from across Central Africa.

Key Sections

• International Competition - first and second feature films competing for jury prizes
• Cameroonian Film Program - debut works by Cameroonian filmmakers
• Short Film Competition - competitive short film program
• Colloque (Conference) - academic and professional discussions on cinema themes (2025: cinema and AI)
• Yarha Decouverte Talent - talent discovery program for emerging filmmakers
• Professional Conferences - industry panels with visiting filmmakers and producers
• Film Screenings - public screenings at the Yaounde City Hall esplanade

Submission Details

The festival accepts submissions of first and second feature films, short films, and documentaries. Submission details are typically announced through the festival's network and the Cameroon Ministry of Arts and Culture.

Contact information:

• The festival is organized by the YARA association, which operates as an NGO
• President Deleguee Generale: Sylvie Nwet
• Supported by: Ministry of Arts and Culture (MINAC), Government of Cameroon

Filmmakers interested in submitting should contact the YARA association directly or monitor Cameroonian cultural media for the annual call for entries. The festival typically runs in January each year, with submissions opening several months prior.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Cameroonian filmmakers: YARHA is the most significant domestic platform for debut and sophomore features. The festival's focus on first and second works means it is specifically designed for emerging filmmakers rather than established directors. If your first or second feature is complete, this is the primary festival target in Cameroon.

For African filmmakers: The festival accepts entries from across the continent. The 11th edition included films from 11 countries. The Grand Prix for Best International First Film is the top award, and past winners have come from outside Cameroon. The 2025 Grand Prix went to "Ni chaines ni maitres" by Beninese director Simon Moutairou.

For international filmmakers: The festival is open to international submissions of first and second features. The bicultural Anglophone-Francophone context means both English and French language films are accessible to local audiences. The conference component provides an intellectual forum alongside screenings.

Practical considerations: Yaounde is accessible via Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport (NSI), with connections through Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, and Addis Ababa. The festival venue (City Hall esplanade) is centrally located. French is the more widely spoken official language in Yaounde, though English is also official. Budget for translation if your film is neither French nor English. Cameroon's film industry is growing but infrastructure is limited; the festival is more of a cultural event than a market, so do not expect distribution deals to emerge directly from attendance.

Major Awards

The 11th edition (2025) awarded approximately 15 prizes, including:

• Grand Prix du Meilleur 1er Film International (Grand Prize for Best International First Film) - 2025 winner: "Ni chaines ni maitres" by Simon Moutairou (Benin)
• Meilleure Production Camerounaise (Best Cameroonian Production) - 2025 winner: "The Dead Man's Wish" by Tebo Njei
• Meilleur Film Long-Metrage (Best Feature Film)
• Meilleur Court-Metrage (Best Short Film) - 2025 winner: "La sirene se marie" by Achraf Ajraoui (Morocco)
• Meilleure Interpretation Masculine (Best Male Performance)
• Prix du Meilleur Professionnel (Best Professional Award)

"The Dead Man's Wish" by Cameroonian director Tebo Njei won four prizes at the 11th edition: Best Professional, Best Cameroonian Production, Best Feature Film, and Best Male Performance.

Festival History

YARHA was created in 2013 by the YARA association as a platform for first and second films. The festival has run annually since its founding, reaching its 11th edition in January 2025.

The 10th edition (January 14 to 21, 2024) focused on women in cinema, examining how film contributes to women's emancipation and the fight against discrimination. The roles of women as actresses, directors, screenwriters, producers, and critics were explored through screenings and debates.

The 11th edition (January 19 to 26, 2025) shifted its theme to "The Future of Cinema in Africa in the AI Era," addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on African film production and distribution. The festival has grown from a modest local event to one that attracts filmmakers from 11-plus countries and is formally patronized by the Ministry of Arts and Culture.

Another notable festival in Yaounde is the First Short Festival (Festival Panafricain de Films d'ecole de Yaounde), created in 2014 by the CINEVISION association with Ministry of Arts and Culture support. The 12th edition is scheduled for April 22 to 25, 2026, dedicated to school short films (fiction, documentary, animation) up to 30 minutes. The call for films for the 12th edition closes January 16, 2026. Contact: info@firstshort.org.

The Cameroon International Film Festival (CAMIFF) is another major Cameroonian festival, held in Buea rather than Yaounde. CAMIFF 2026 is planned as a regional cultural hub event with red carpet screenings, workshops, and industry networking. It showcases feature films, shorts, documentaries, TV series, student films, and online content.

See Also

Use the Festival ROI Calculator to model the total cost of submitting to and attending YARHA, including travel to Yaounde and accommodation. For broader festival strategy, read Film Festival Strategy. For Central African cinema context, see International Film Markets. For FESPACO, the continent's largest film festival, see FESPACO Ouagadougou.