Overview
The Madagascourt Film Festival, also known as Rencontres du Film Court de Madagascar (RFC), is Madagascar's only film festival and the sole festival dedicated to short films on the island. The 20th edition runs February 20-25, 2026, in Antananarivo. Originally scheduled for November 2025, the edition was postponed to February 2026. The festival is organized by the Association RFC Madagasikara in partnership with Rozifilms, the Institut Francais de Madagascar (IFM), and the Pan-African Alliance of Screenwriters and Directors (APASER).
The 20th anniversary edition received a record 758 film submissions from 35 African countries. The festival program includes five competitive categories: National Competition, Pan-African Fiction, Pan-African Animation, Pan-African Documentary, and "A chacun son cinema" (To Each Their Own Cinema). The national competition features 15 Malagasy short films.
The 20th edition theme is "Toujours a l'agonie, mais jamais mort" (Still dying, but never dead), a phrase that reflects the persistence of African cinema despite economic, logistical, and structural challenges. The festival includes workshops, masterclasses, professional panels, and discussions on copyright and intellectual property, with participation from international IP specialists and delegates from SADC member countries.
The festival was created in 2006 by Malagasy director and producer Laza Razanajatovo. It has operated continuously for 20 years, serving as both the only cinema event in Madagascar and an incubator for emerging African filmmaking talent.
Submission Details
The Madagascourt Film Festival accepts submissions from African filmmakers and co-directors. Submissions are made through the festival website.
Eligibility:
- Short films by African directors or co-directors
- Categories: National Competition (Malagasy films), Pan-African Fiction, Pan-African Animation, Pan-African Documentary, International Competition
- Films must be short films (court-metrage)
Submission categories:
- National Competition - Malagasy short films only
- Pan-African Fiction - African short fiction films
- Pan-African Animation - African animated short films
- Pan-African Documentary - African short documentaries
- International Competition - open to international short films
The 20th edition received 758 submissions from 35 countries. Some Malagasy films appear in multiple categories, such as Silence by Anjarasoa Medalys, Alika by Dolph Hasner, The Anjoro by Hary Joel, and Le Bus by Kuro Mi, which are in both the national competition and the Pan-African animation competition.
For submission details and deadlines, check the RFC website.
Key Sections and Awards
Competitive categories:
- National Competition - 15 Malagasy short films competing for Best Malagasy Short Film
- Pan-African Fiction Competition - African short fiction films
- Pan-African Animation Competition - African animated short films
- Pan-African Documentary Competition - African short documentaries
- International Competition - international short films
Non-competitive sections:
- A chacun son cinema - curated screenings
- Cine Ankalamanjana - outdoor community screenings
- Workshops and Masterclasses - training for Malagasy and African filmmakers
- Professional Panels - industry discussions including copyright and IP
Awards:
- Best Malagasy Short Film - jury prize for the national competition
- Best Pan-African Fiction Short
- Best Pan-African Animation Short
- Best Pan-African Documentary Short
- Audience Award
The jury is composed of film professionals from multiple countries.
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Malagasy filmmakers: This is the only film festival in Madagascar and the most important domestic platform for your work. The National Competition is restricted to Malagasy productions, giving you a dedicated category without competing against larger African production bases. The festival also provides training through workshops and masterclasses.
For African short filmmakers: The pan-African categories give you access to a festival that actively programs African cinema across fiction, animation, and documentary. With 758 submissions from 35 countries, the festival has established itself as one of the principal short film festivals on the continent. The partnership with APASER connects the festival to a broader African industry network.
For filmmakers from Indian Ocean islands: The festival's location in Madagascar creates connections with neighboring Indian Ocean nations including Comoros, Reunion, and Mauritius. Filmmakers from these islands can submit to the international or pan-African categories.
On copyright and IP: The 20th edition places copyright and intellectual property at the center of its professional program, with international IP specialists and SADC country delegates discussing protection of audiovisual works.
Festival History
The Madagascourt Film Festival was founded in 2006 by Malagasy director and producer Laza Razanajatovo through the Association RFC and Rozifilms, in partnership with the Institut Francais de Madagascar. The festival was originally known as Rencontres du Film Court de Madagasikara (RFC) and later adopted the name Madagascourt Film Festival (MFF).
The festival has operated continuously for 20 years, maintaining its focus on short films even as feature filmmaking in Madagascar remains limited due to resource constraints. The festival's focus on shorts reflects the practical realities of filmmaking on the island, where production infrastructure is minimal but creative ambition among emerging filmmakers is strong.
Over two decades, the festival has grown into one of the principal short film festivals in Africa. The 20th anniversary edition in 2026 received 758 submissions from 35 African countries, a record participation level. The festival has partnered with APASER to build its pan-African reach and has expanded its program to include more workshops, masterclasses, and professional discussions alongside screenings.
Practical Information
- 2026 dates: February 20-25, 2026
- Venues: Institut Francais de Madagascar (IFM) for opening and main screenings; Havoria Anosy for closing ceremony
- Program: Competitions, screenings, workshops, masterclasses, panels on copyright and IP
- Partners: Association RFC Madagasikara, Rozifilms, Institut Francais de Madagascar, APASER
- Website: rencontresdufilmcourt.mg
Past Winners
The Madagascourt Film Festival awards the Zebu d'Or (Golden Zebu) across competitive categories. The 20th edition (February 2026) announced winners at the Kudeta Anosy closing ceremony:
2026 Zebu d'Or National Competition: The Anjiro directed by Andriaminosoa Hary Joel Rakotovelo. The 7-minute-30-second animated film tells the story of electricity disappearing from a kingdom. The audience voted via Mobile Money. The Anjiro was selected for the 21 Islands International Short Film Festival and the 2026 Cannes Film Market (Marche du Film).
2026 Zebu d'Or Pan-African Fiction: Followers directed by Anton Khan. The film was also selected for the 2026 Cannes Film Market alongside The Anjiro and Debout! by Felana Rajaonarivelo.
2026 Zebu d'Or Pan-African Animation: Pie dan Lo directed by Yip Tong Kim. Special mention went to Alika by Dolph Hasner.
2026 Zebu d'Or Pan-African Documentary: Comme une spirale directed by Lamia Chraibi. Special mention went to Les seins de la honte by Henriette Sena Hangnamey.
2026 Prix du Coeur: Une histoire de vacances directed by Malika Zairi.
The 19th edition (2025) also awarded Zebus d'Or across the same competitive categories. The festival organizer, Laza Razanajatovo, described the 20th edition theme "Toujours a l'agonie, mais jamais mort" as a call to action for African cinema.
Notable Alumni Films
Several films that screened at Madagascourt achieved downstream success on the international circuit:
- The Anjiro (2026) - Won the Zebu d'Or National Competition. Selected for the 21 Islands International Short Film Festival (10th edition, February 2026). Selected for the 2026 Cannes Film Market (Marche du Film) as one of 6 films representing Malagasy cinema.
- Followers (2026) - Won the Zebu d'Or Pan-African Fiction. Also selected for the 2026 Cannes Film Market. Director Anton Khan trained at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles.
- Debout! (2026) by Felana Rajaonarivelo - Selected for the 2026 Cannes Film Market alongside The Anjiro and Followers.
- Nofinofy (2019) by Michael Andrianaly - Screened at RFC. The 73-minute documentary about a barber in Madagascar circulated on the international festival circuit.
- Rough Life (2015) by Sitraka Randriamahaly - Screened in the RFC 10 official competition. The 4-minute-36-second film represented Malagasy short filmmaking on the festival circuit.
Submission Tips
- Submit only short films by African directors or co-directors. The festival restricts competition entries to African filmmakers. Non-African filmmakers may submit to the International Competition category.
- Target the National Competition if you are Malagasy. This category is restricted to Malagasy productions, giving you a dedicated category without competing against larger African production bases.
- Submit through the RFC website. The 20th edition received 758 submissions from 35 countries, so competition is significant. Of those, 62 films were selected for competition.
- Prepare your film in French or with French subtitles. The festival operates in a Francophone context with Malagasy and French as primary languages.
- Consider the pan-African categories if your film is from outside Madagascar. The Pan-African Fiction, Animation, and Documentary competitions accept films from across the continent.
- Attend the workshops and masterclasses if selected. The 20th edition featured training sessions with international IP specialists and German archive expert Monica Preischl, making professional development a core festival benefit.
- Note that the festival focuses exclusively on short films. Feature films are not programmed. This reflects the production realities in Madagascar where infrastructure for feature production is minimal.
Industry Reputation Notes
Madagascourt is the only film festival in Madagascar and the first short film festival in Africa, according to organizer Laza Razanajatovo. The industry values it as a platform for emerging African filmmaking talent rather than as an acquisitions or market event.
Compared to FESPACO (Burkina Faso), the largest African film festival, Madagascourt has a fraction of the budget and industry presence. FESPACO attracts distributors, sales agents, and international press. Madagascourt attracts filmmakers, students, and APASER delegates. However, Madagascourt's exclusive focus on short films gives it a distinct niche that FESPACO does not occupy.
Compared to Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), which programs features and shorts across Africa and the Indian Ocean, Madagascourt has a tighter geographic and format focus. ZIFF runs a larger industry program with market activity. Madagascourt focuses on training, IP discussions, and community screenings.
The festival's partnership with APASER (Pan-African Alliance of Screenwriters and Directors) connects it to a broader African industry network. The 20th edition hosted the SADC copyright colloquium (EGDA), bringing delegates from Southern African countries to discuss audiovisual IP protection.
See Also
For African cinema markets and distribution, see International Film Markets. For short film festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to Madagascourt.
