Yaounde International Film Festival (FIFY)

Overview

The Yaounde International Film Festival is Cameroon's most important film festival. Founded in 2005 and held annually in Yaounde -- Cameroon's capital and administrative center -- the festival presents Cameroonian and African cinema in a country that contains within its borders remarkable ecological, cultural, and linguistic diversity.

Cameroon is sometimes called Africa in Miniature because the country encompasses nearly every major ecosystem found on the African continent -- Saharan desert in the north, tropical rainforest in the south, savanna grasslands, mountains, and Atlantic coast. The country's extraordinary biodiversity and its cultural diversity -- with over 270 languages spoken across diverse ethnic groups -- create rich material for documentary and narrative filmmaking.

Cameroon's dual official languages (French and English) and its history as both a French and a British colonial territory give it a unique bicultural Anglophone-Francophone character in Central Africa.

Key Sections

• International Competition -- films competing for jury prizes
• Cameroonian Film Program -- new Cameroonian features and shorts
• Central African Panorama -- films from neighboring nations
• Documentary Program -- nonfiction features
• Short Film Competition -- competitive short programs

What Filmmakers Should Know

FIFY accepts open submissions. For Cameroonian filmmakers, this is the most important domestic platform. The bicultural Anglophone-Francophone character creates connections with both French-speaking and English-speaking African cinema traditions.

Major Awards

• Best Film -- jury prize
• Best Cameroonian Film
• Audience Award

Festival History

FIFY was founded in 2005 and has operated as Cameroon's primary film cultural event.

See Also

For Central African cinema, see International Film Markets. For FESPACO, see FESPACO Ouagadougou.