FESPACO Film Festival

A home for African cinema

FESPACO began in 1969 as a small film week in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and grew into the largest film festival in Africa. It is held every two years and brings together filmmakers, actors, critics and audiences from across the continent and the diaspora.

The Golden Stallion

The festival's top award is the Golden Stallion of Yennenga, named after a heroine of a Mossi legend. Winners have included influential directors from many countries. Screenings fill cinemas and outdoor venues, and street celebrations turn the city into a festival town.

Why it matters

For decades, African films struggled to reach audiences at home, as cinemas mainly showed foreign films. FESPACO created a showcase for African stories told by African filmmakers and helped build networks for co-productions, distribution and training. A film market alongside the festival connects producers and buyers.

Films to explore

Many FESPACO winners and selections are now available through film festivals, cultural institutes and streaming platforms. Exploring work by directors from Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and beyond is a great way to see African stories told from within. The festival also highlights short films, documentaries and television series. Film schools and workshops held alongside the festival train young filmmakers in writing, directing and production.

Ouagadougou has a monument to filmmakers at a roundabout near the city centre, a sign of how important cinema is to the city's identity.

African cinema today

African film and TV are growing fast, from Nigeria's Nollywood, one of the most prolific film industries in the world, to series from South Africa, Kenya and Senegal streaming worldwide. FESPACO remains a key meeting point for this creative boom.

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