Overview
The Rencontres Cinematographiques de Dakar (RECIDAK) is Senegal's state-organized film festival. The first edition took place in 1990. The festival operates in Dakar, the westernmost capital city on the African mainland, a peninsula on the Atlantic coast. RECIDAK presents Senegalese films, African cinema, and international selections across approximately 50 films over 7 days. The 10th edition, held November 22 to 28, 2018, screened 25 Senegalese films alongside entries from Morocco, Angola, Cameroon, Mozambique, Palestine, Canada, Belgium, France, and Brazil.
For Senegalese filmmakers, RECIDAK is the primary domestic exhibition platform. The festival's programming prioritizes Senegalese cinema: half of the 2018 selection was local. The event also runs an international colloquium, professional meetings, a film market salon, technical workshops, and master classes. The 2018 theme, "Cinema and Development," framed the festival as both a cultural event and an economic development tool for the Senegalese film sector.
The festival has no FilmFreeway presence. Submissions are handled through the Ministry of Culture and the Direction de la Cinematographie. There is no public entry fee structure. Filmmakers interested in submitting should contact the organizing committee directly through the official website or the Direction de la Cinematographie.
History
RECIDAK was founded in 1990 by the Consortium de Communication audiovisuelle en Afrique, under the direction of Annette Mbaye d'Erneville, a Senegalese journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. The festival ran annually from 1990 to 1996, establishing itself as a meeting point for African cinema professionals. The Senegalese state assumed organizational control in 1997 and held one edition in 2002. After that, the festival went dormant for over a decade.
In 2017, the Direction de la Cinematographie announced plans to relaunch RECIDAK. The 10th edition finally took place November 22 to 28, 2018, under the theme "Cinema and Development." The organizing committee was led by Professor Magueye Kasse, with Hugues Diaz as coordinator. The 2018 edition screened approximately 50 films, including 25 Senegalese productions, across venues in Dakar and its suburbs. The opening film was L'Orage Africain - Un Continent sous Influence by Sylvestre Amoussou (Benin).
After 2018, the festival again went on hiatus. Minister of Culture Aliou Sow publicly committed to holding a 2023 edition, but it did not take place. As of August 2026, no new edition has been confirmed. The festival's irregular schedule reflects broader challenges in Senegal's cinema infrastructure.
Senegal's cinema tradition predates the festival. Ousmane Sembene, widely considered the father of African cinema, directed Black Girl (1966). Djibril Diop Mambety's Touki Bouki (1973) is one of the most studied African films in cinema studies. Alain Gomis won the FESPACO Etalon d'Or de Yennenga in 2013 for Today and again in 2017 for Felicite.
Submission Details
RECIDAK does not use FilmFreeway or other standard online submission platforms. The organizing committee handles submissions through direct contact.
Eligibility (based on the 2018 edition):
- Open to Senegalese, African, and international films
- Feature films, short films, and documentaries accepted
- Approximately half the selection is reserved for Senegalese cinema
- International films are selected by invitation and through the organizing committee's network
- No public entry fee structure has been documented
Submission process:
- Contact the organizing committee directly through the official website
- Or contact the Direction de la Cinematographie under Senegal's Ministry of Culture
- No online submission portal or FilmFreeway page exists
Important note: Filmmakers should verify that the festival is happening before planning a submission or attendance. The festival has been dormant since 2018 with no confirmed future edition as of August 2026.
Key Sections
- Senegalese Film Program - new Senegalese features and shorts, the largest section by volume (25 films in 2018)
- International Competition - films from across Africa and beyond competing for jury prizes
- Panorama of World Cinema - non-competitive international selections from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East
- Documentary Program - nonfiction features and shorts
- Professional Forum - international colloquium, panels, and industry meetings on cinema and development
- Technical Workshops - training sessions in cinematographic techniques for emerging filmmakers
- Tributes and Homages - honors to pioneers of African cinema
Past Winners
RECIDAK does not have a well-documented public record of competitive award winners across editions. The festival's intermittent schedule has prevented the development of a consistent award structure. What is documented:
2018 (10th Edition) distinctions:
- Tribute Distinctions (career honors) - awarded to Oumou Sy (stylist and costumier), Nour-Eddine Sail (former director of Centre Cinematographique Marocain), and Annette Mbaye d'Erneville (journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and founder of RECIDAK)
- Best Film - jury prize for the top competition film (specific winner not publicly documented)
- Best Senegalese Film - recognizing domestic production (specific winner not publicly documented)
- Audience Award - selected by festival attendees
Notable films screened at RECIDAK 2018:
- L'Orage Africain - Un Continent sous Influence by Sylvestre Amoussou (Benin) - opening film
- Felicite by Alain Gomis (Senegal) - FESPACO Etalon d'Or de Yennenga 2017 winner, Senegal's Oscar submission
- Frontieres by Apolline Traore (Burkina Faso) - drama about three women crossing West African borders
- TGV by Moussa Toure (Senegal)
- Le Grand Kilapy by Zeze Gamboa (Angola)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- "Felicite" (2017) by Alain Gomis - Screened at RECIDAK 2018. Won the FESPACO Etalon d'Or de Yennenga in 2017 (the top prize at Africa's largest film festival). Was Senegal's submission for the Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards. Premiered at Berlinale 2017 where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize. The film stars Vero Tshanda Beya Mputu and is set in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Distributed internationally, it received critical acclaim at festivals worldwide.
- "L'Orage Africain - Un Continent sous Influence" (2017) by Sylvestre Amoussou - Opening film at RECIDAK 2018. A Beninese drama about neocolonialism and foreign influence in Africa. Distributed by Tchoko-Tchoko Productions in France.
- "Frontieres" (2017) by Apolline Traore - Screened at RECIDAK 2018. A Burkina Faso/France co-production about three women traveling from Bamako to Lagos facing corruption and violence at border crossings. Distributed by Hevadis Films in France.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
RECIDAK's programming is heavily weighted toward Senegalese cinema: approximately half of the 2018 selection was domestic. If your film is Senegalese, you have a natural programming advantage. If your film is from elsewhere in Francophone West Africa, it also aligns well with the festival's regional focus.
Films addressing African diaspora themes, post-colonial identity, or Francophone West African stories have the strongest programming fit. The festival's 2018 theme "Cinema and Development" signals its interest in films that engage with economic and social development questions facing African societies.
The submission process is informal and relationship-based. There is no online portal. Contacting the Direction de la Cinematographie or the organizing committee directly is the only pathway. Having a connection within Senegalese cultural institutions or the FESPACO network can help.
Critical caveat: The festival has been dormant since 2018. Before investing time in a submission, verify that the festival is actually happening by checking the official website or contacting Senegal's Ministry of Culture. The separate Festival Dakar Court (short fiction films, December 2026 edition) has a more reliable annual schedule and may be a better target for short filmmakers.
Industry Reputation Notes
RECIDAK is not a market festival. The 2018 edition included a "salon du film" (film market salon) and professional meetings, but these are small-scale compared to markets at FESPACO or Carthage. Filmmakers attending RECIDAK for distribution deals or co-production financing will find limited market infrastructure.
The festival's primary value is in cultural exhibition within Senegal, audience engagement with Senegalese and Francophone West African film communities, and networking within the Direction de la Cinematographie network. The professional forum and colloquium provide intellectual and policy discussions, but not deal-making.
Compared to FESPACO in Burkina Faso (which has a formal market, pan-African industry presence, and the Etalon d'Or de Yennenga as the continent's most recognized prize), RECIDAK is much smaller and less reliable. Compared to the Carthage Film Festival in Tunisia (which has a more consistent schedule and stronger industry programming), RECIDAK lacks operational continuity.
The festival's irregular schedule is its biggest liability. Multiple editions have been promised and not delivered, which has damaged the festival's credibility with international filmmakers and industry professionals. For filmmakers seeking reliable festival exposure in West Africa, FESPACO or the Lagos-based AFRIFF are more dependable options.
Awards / Accreditation
The festival is not FIAPF-accredited and does not qualify films for Academy Award consideration. It is not an Oscar-qualifying festival.
Documented award categories:
- Best Film - jury prize for the top competition film
- Best Senegalese Film - recognizing domestic production
- Audience Award - selected by festival attendees
- Tribute Distinctions - career honors for contributions to African cinema
The festival has not published a consistent award structure across editions due to its intermittent schedule. The 2018 edition was the first in 16 years, and no subsequent edition has taken place as of August 2026.
What Filmmakers Should Know
Irregular schedule: RECIDAK does not operate on a reliable annual cycle. The festival ran from 1990 to 1996, had one edition in 2002, went dormant for 16 years, held one edition in 2018, and has not held another since. Verify that the festival is happening before planning a submission or attendance. Check the official website or Senegal's Ministry of Culture announcements.
Submission process: RECIDAK does not use FilmFreeway or other standard online submission platforms. Contact the organizing committee directly. The 2018 edition programmed 25 Senegalese films out of approximately 50 total, meaning roughly half the selection is reserved for domestic cinema.
No market component: RECIDAK does not have an official film market. The 2018 edition included a small-scale "salon du film" and professional meetings, but these are not comparable to markets at FESPACO or Carthage. The festival's value is in cultural exhibition, audience engagement, and networking within the Senegalese and Francophone West African film community.
Alternative festival: The separate Festival Dakar Court focuses exclusively on short fiction films. Its 9th edition runs December 8 to 12, 2026, in Dakar. The call for entries closes July 24, 2026. Dakar Court accepts films up to 45 minutes from African and diaspora filmmakers. This is a different event from RECIDAK and has a more reliable annual schedule.
Watch
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Felicite (2017) by Alain Gomis - Official Trailer, screened at RECIDAK 2018, FESPACO Etalon d'Or winner, Silver Bear at Berlinale, Senegal's Oscar submission
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Black Girl (1966) original trailer, directed by Ousmane Sembene. The Senegalese classic is considered one of the foundational works of African cinema and is essential to any Senegalese film festival's programming context.
See Also
For the Panafrican film festival in Burkina Faso, see FESPACO Ouagadougou. For the Dakar short film festival, visit Festival Dakar Court. For West African cinema context, see International Film Markets. To evaluate the financial return of submitting to African festivals, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy.
