Africa ignored at Cannes

2007-05-22 17:16

Cannes - With not a single African film selected to compete for the top Cannes awards in a decade, is the world's biggest film fest discriminating against movies from the continent, the African Filmmakers Producers Guild asked on Monday.

"Is this pure chance or linked to colour discrimination against our images?" the Guild said in a statement.

It also pointed out that of the 35 directors asked to participate in a special film tribute to Cannes' 60th anniversary which was released on Sunday - "To Each His Own Cinema" - not a single one was African.

'No worthy film-makers?'

"Without questioning the Cannes festival's right to sovereign choices, we note also that Africa's point of view is of no interest."

"Is this because we have no worthy film-makers?"

The French film production and distribution industry that African film-makers were closely linked to was discriminatory, the Guild added, "enclosing us increasingly in a ghetto."

No immediate comment was available from festival organisers.

- AFP