Clap Ivoire - Festival du Cinema Ouest-Africain

Overview

Clap Ivoire is Ivory Coast's longest-running film festival and the primary competitive platform for short films by young filmmakers from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) region. The 25th edition took place November 24 to 28, 2025, at the Cinéma Majestic, Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire, in Abidjan-Cocody. The festival is organized by the Office national du cinema de Cote d'Ivoire (ONAC-CI), the government film office, with support from the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie.

The 25th edition featured 13 films in competition - 7 documentaries and 6 fictions - along with 14 candidates participating in a pitch competition. Activities included training workshops, round tables, screenings, and project presentation sessions. The director general of Cote d'Ivoire Cinema, Johnson Lison Fall Diomande, confirmed the government's continued support for the festival as a platform for discovering and training new filmmakers across the sub-region.

Clap Ivoire operates a two-phase competition structure. The first phase is a national selection held in each of the eight UEMOA member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo), where each country selects two representatives in fiction and documentary categories. The second phase is the international competition in Abidjan, where the 16 finalists are judged by a jury selected by the festival commissioner.

For West African filmmakers, Clap Ivoire is one of the few festival platforms specifically dedicated to short-form cinema from the Francophone West African region. It sits alongside FESPACO in Burkina Faso as a major regional festival, though Clap Ivoire's focus on short films and young filmmakers differentiates it from FESPACO's feature film focus.

Submission Details

Clap Ivoire does not use FilmFreeway or an online submission portal. The festival operates through national selection committees in each UEMOA member state.

Filmmakers from UEMOA member states should contact their national film office or ONAC-CI directly for submission guidelines and national selection dates. The national selection phase typically occurs in the months preceding the international final in Abidjan.

Eligibility and Competition Structure

Clap Ivoire is restricted to young filmmakers from the eight UEMOA member states. The competition accepts short films in fiction and documentary categories. Each member state runs a national selection process to identify its two representatives - one in fiction and one in documentary. The 16 finalists then compete in the international phase in Abidjan.

The festival also includes a pitch competition where selected candidates present film projects to a jury of industry professionals. The 25th edition featured 14 pitch contestants. This pitch component provides a development opportunity beyond the screening competition, allowing filmmakers to receive feedback on projects in progress.

In addition to the competition, the festival programs training workshops, round tables on industry topics, and networking sessions connecting filmmakers from across the UEMOA region with industry professionals and government cultural officials.

What Filmmakers Should Know

Clap Ivoire's restriction to UEMOA member states means filmmakers from non-UEMOA African countries (such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, or Congo) are not eligible for the competition. Filmmakers from these countries should consider FESPACO (Burkina Faso), which has broader pan-African eligibility, or the Africa Movie Academy Awards (Nigeria).

For eligible filmmakers, the two-phase structure means that selection at the national level is the first hurdle. Each UEMOA country has its own selection process, typically organized through the national film office or cultural ministry. Filmmakers should contact their national film office well in advance of the international festival dates to learn about national selection timelines.

The festival's focus on short films makes it accessible for emerging filmmakers who may not yet have feature-length projects. The pitch competition offers an additional entry point for filmmakers with projects in development. The training workshops and round tables provide professional development opportunities that are particularly valuable for filmmakers working outside major African film production centers.

The festival's venue at the Cinéma Majestic in the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire complex places it in one of Abidjan's most upscale districts (Cocody). The venue provides modern projection facilities, though the festival's scale is modest compared to FESPACO or major European festivals. Filmmakers attending should expect a regional, Francophone industry audience rather than an international market crowd.

Ivory Coast's film industry is growing but remains smaller than those of Nigeria, South Africa, or Egypt. The government's support through ONAC-CI and Cote d'Ivoire Cinema indicates institutional commitment to developing the sector. Clap Ivoire functions as both a competitive platform and an industry development tool, with the training workshops and pitch sessions serving as capacity-building mechanisms for the regional film ecosystem.

Major Awards

• Grand Prix UEMOA Kodjo Eboucle - top prize awarded to the best film in the international competition
• Best Fiction - award for the top fiction short film
• Best Documentary - award for the top documentary short film
• Pitch Competition Prize - award for the best project pitch among the 14 candidates

The jury is selected by the festival commissioner and consists of film industry professionals from the UEMOA region and beyond.

Other Ivorian Film Festivals

Clap Ivoire is the oldest and most established film festival in Ivory Coast, but several newer festivals have emerged:

• FENECI (Festival national des ecoles pour le cinema ivoirien) - first edition held June 12-13, 2025, at Espace Yelam's in Treichville, Abidjan. Dedicated to student films from Ivorian film schools. Created by screenwriter-director Serge Diby of INSAAC. The first edition received 40 submissions, selected 8 short films for competition, with a jury headed by director Luc Gnepa
• Abidjan Cine Scratch - women-focused film and visual arts festival, 5th edition scheduled for May 30, 2026, at Terrain d'Anono, Cocody. Organized by Fondation Coeur de Reine and Precis'K Label. The 2025 edition trained 800+ women in film, photography, AI, and cultural entrepreneurship
• FECIPA (Festival cinema plein air d'Abidjan) - outdoor cinema festival, 2nd edition held December 5-8, 2024, at Abobo-Doume in Abidjan. Focused on environmental and circular economy themes
• FILM d'Abidjan (Festival International des Langues Maternelles) - first edition February 21 to May 21, 2025. Dedicated to promoting local languages through cinema, organized by actor-director Guy Kalou with support from UNESCO-Abidjan and the Ministry of Culture

Festival History

Clap Ivoire was created in 1995 by Honore N'Zue as part of the centenary celebration of cinema in Cote d'Ivoire. The festival was initially organized by the Union des cine clubs de Cote d'Ivoire (UCCCI) at the Centre culturel francais in Abidjan. In its early years, the festival focused on Ivorian filmmakers and film clubs.

In 2004, the festival expanded its scope to include all young filmmakers from the eight UEMOA member states, shifting from a national event into a regional competition. This expansion aligned with UEMOA's cultural cooperation objectives and created a structured pipeline for identifying filmmaking talent across Francophone West Africa.

Since 2012, the festival has been organized by ONAC-CI (Office national du cinema de Cote d'Ivoire), the government film office. This institutional support has provided more stable funding and organizational capacity, though the festival remains modest in scale compared to FESPACO or major international festivals.

The 25th edition in 2025 was opened by Assane Thiam, representing the Minister of Culture and Francophonie Francoise Remarck, confirming the government's continued institutional backing. Johnson Lison Fall Diomande, director general of Cote d'Ivoire Cinema, emphasized the festival's role in discovering, training, and revealing new filmmaking talent across the sub-region.

Past Winners

Clap Ivoire has run for 25 editions, with the most recent editions producing detailed public records of winners across the UEMOA competition.

25th Edition (2025) Winners

The 25th edition took place November 24 to 28, 2025, at the Cinéma Majestic, Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire, in Abidjan-Cocody. Senegal led the palmares:

• Grand Prix Kodjo Eboucle (Best Film) - "Geej Amul Banxass" directed by Kalifa Ba (Senegal). The film also won Best Photography and Best Sound, giving Senegal three of the major prizes.
• Prix UEMOA du Meilleur Film d'Integration - "02, Bataille Contre l'Oubli" (UEMOA integration prize)
• Prix Idrissa Diabate (Best Documentary) - "Takalakoyos" directed by Hassanie Mahamat Ibrahim (Niger)
• Prix Roger G'Noan M'Balla (Best Fiction Film) - "Mia" directed by Traoré Hana Halia Lebo (Burkina Faso)
• Best Screenplay - "Moi, la Foret et le Hibou" directed by Yaoundé N'Doko Delphine (Ivory Coast). The film also earned actor Ababoukar Traoré the Prix Cote d'Ivoire Cinéma for Best Male Performance.

24th Edition (2024) Winners

The 24th edition concluded November 29, 2024, at the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire, with a jury presided over by Honoré N'Zué, the festival's founder:

• Grand Prix Kodjo Eboucle (Best Film) - "Les Chaines du Deuil" (The Chains of Mourning) directed by Dorcas Ganmagba (Benin). The documentary short examines widowhood rites and practices in Africa, particularly in Benin. The prize was 6,000,000 FCFA.
• Prix UEMOA du Meilleur Film d'Integration - "Labou Sanni No" directed by Abdoul Aristide Anatovi (Niger). The prize was 5,000,000 FCFA.
• Prix Roger Gnoan M'Bala (Best Fiction Film) - "Le Silence des Lames" directed by Jean-Marie Guéassémahé (Ivory Coast). The prize was 1,500,000 FCFA.
• Prix Idrissa Diabate (Best Documentary) - "Les Chaines du Deuil" also won this prize (1,000,000 FCFA), giving Ganmagba three awards total.
• Prix Fadika Kramo (Best Film Critic/Journalist) - Marcellin Boguy (Roger Levry), second edition of this prize (500,000 FCFA)
• Best Sound - "Les Chaines du Deuil"

23rd Edition (2023) Winners

• Grand Prix Kodjo Eboucle - "Le Botanique" directed by Floriane Zoundi (fiction). Ivory Coast has won the Grand Prix Kodjo Eboucle seven times across the festival's history, more than any other UEMOA country.

Notable Alumni Films

Clap Ivoire's competition has surfaced short films that reflect the concerns and aesthetics of young West African filmmakers:

• "Les Chaines du Deuil" (Dorcas Ganmagba, Benin, 2024) - The documentary short won three prizes at the 24th edition, including the Grand Prix. The film examines widowhood rites and mourning practices in Benin, addressing a social issue that resonates across West Africa. Ganmagba's triple win established her as a rising voice in Beninese cinema.

• "Le Silence des Lames" (Jean-Marie Guéassémahé, Ivory Coast, 2024) - Won Best Fiction Film at the 24th edition. The title (The Silence of the Blades) suggests engagement with themes of violence or resistance, consistent with the socially engaged programming Clap Ivoire favors.

• "Le Botanique" (Floriane Zoundi, 2023) - Won the Grand Prix at the 23rd edition. Zoundi is among the Ivorian filmmakers who have benefited from the festival's national selection pipeline.

• "Geej Amul Banxass" (Kalifa Ba, Senegal, 2025) - Won the Grand Prix at the 25th edition along with Best Photography and Best Sound, making Senegal the dominant country in the most recent competition. The film's three-prize sweep reflects the strength of Senegalese short filmmaking within the UEMOA region.

The festival's two-phase structure (national selection followed by international final) means that winning films have already passed through one competitive round before reaching Abidjan. The 16 international finalists represent the top short fiction and documentary work from across Francophone West Africa.

Submission Tips

1. Confirm UEMOA eligibility before submitting: Clap Ivoire is restricted to young filmmakers from the eight UEMOA member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo). Filmmakers from non-UEMOA African countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, or Congo are not eligible. If you are from a non-UEMOA country, consider FESPACO (Burkina Faso) or the Africa Movie Academy Awards (Nigeria) instead.

1. Contact your national film office, not the festival directly: Submissions go through national selection committees in each UEMOA country, not through FilmFreeway or an online portal. Contact your national film office or cultural ministry to learn about national selection timelines. Each country selects two representatives (one fiction, one documentary) for the international final in Abidjan.

1. Prepare for the two-phase competition: Selection at the national level is the first hurdle. Each UEMOA country has its own selection process. Filmmakers should contact their national film office well in advance of the international festival dates to learn about national selection timelines. The national phase typically occurs in the months preceding the international final in November.

1. Submit short films only: The competition accepts short films in fiction and documentary categories. Feature-length films are not eligible. The festival's focus on short form cinema makes it accessible for emerging filmmakers who may not yet have feature-length projects.

1. Consider the pitch competition: In addition to the screening competition, the festival runs a pitch competition where selected candidates present film projects to a jury of industry professionals. The 25th edition featured 14 pitch contestants. The pitch component provides a development opportunity for filmmakers with projects in progress, separate from the completed film competition.

1. Budget for travel to Abidjan if selected: The international final takes place at the Cinéma Majestic in the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire complex in Abidjan-Cocody. If your film is selected for the international phase, you will need to travel to Abidjan for the festival. Confirm with the festival whether travel support is provided for selected filmmakers.

1. French language proficiency helps: The festival operates in French, and the UEMOA region is primarily Francophone. While the festival accepts films in any language (with appropriate subtitles), industry networking, workshops, and pitch sessions are conducted in French.

Industry Reputation Notes

Clap Ivoire occupies a specific position in the West African festival landscape:

Strengths: The festival is Ivory Coast's longest-running film festival and the primary competitive platform for short films by young filmmakers from the UEMOA region. Its two-phase structure (national selection then international final) creates a structured pipeline for identifying talent across Francophone West Africa. The pitch competition offers a development opportunity beyond screening. The training workshops and round tables provide professional development that is valuable for filmmakers working outside major African production centers. Government support through ONAC-CI provides institutional stability. The Grand Prix Kodjo Eboucle carries a cash prize of 6,000,000 FCFA (approximately 9,000 EUR), which is significant for short filmmakers in the region.

Limitations: The festival's restriction to UEMOA member states excludes filmmakers from major African film-producing countries outside the Francophone West African bloc, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon. The festival operates at a modest scale compared to FESPACO or major European festivals. The venue at the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire is in an upscale district of Abidjan, which may feel disconnected from the broader urban context. The festival does not have an attached film market, so distribution and co-production deals are not a primary outcome. The national selection process varies by country and may not be transparent in all UEMOA states.

Who attends: The audience is primarily a regional, Francophone industry audience rather than an international market crowd. Government cultural officials from UEMOA member states attend, as do national film office representatives. The 25th edition was opened by Assane Thiam, representing the Minister of Culture and Francophonie Francoise Remarck, and the director general of Cote d'Ivoire Cinema, Johnson Lison Fall Diomande, confirmed continued government support. Industry professionals from across the UEMOA region attend for networking and professional development.

Ivory Coast's film industry context: Ivory Coast's film industry is growing but remains smaller than those of Nigeria, South Africa, or Egypt. The government's support through ONAC-CI and Cote d'Ivoire Cinema indicates institutional commitment to developing the sector. Clap Ivoire functions as both a competitive platform and an industry development tool, with the training workshops and pitch sessions serving as capacity-building mechanisms for the regional film ecosystem. The emergence of newer Ivorian festivals (FENECI, Abidjan Cine Scratch, FECIPA, FILM d'Abidjan) indicates a growing local festival scene, though Clap Ivoire remains the most established.

For UEMOA filmmakers: Clap Ivoire is one of the few festival platforms specifically dedicated to short-form cinema from the Francophone West African region. It sits alongside FESPACO as a major regional festival, though Clap Ivoire's focus on short films and young filmmakers differentiates it from FESPACO's feature film focus. For emerging filmmakers, the training workshops and pitch competition offer professional development opportunities that are particularly valuable outside major African film production centers.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival circuit strategy and planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For the major pan-African film festival, see FESPACO. For understanding West African cinema markets, see International Film Markets.