Paris, December 21, 2025 – The 7th edition of the International Festival “L’Afrique Fait Son Cinéma” concluded in grand style on Saturday, December 20, at EICAR Paris. Under the presidency of its founder, Blaise Pascal Tanguy, this major event celebrated the excellence of African and Caribbean creators, confirming the vital role of the image in cultural dialogue.
Cinema: A Strategic Tool for Influence
Beyond the artistic competition, this edition—themed “Youth, Education… & ‘Next Generation'”—served as a powerful reminder of the festival’s fundamental mission
Jessie Claude, Regional Councilor of Île-de-France, delivered a vibrant plea for the image as a tool of influence: “Cinema is an unavoidable lever and the most powerful Soft Power! When American films and series enter our TVs, the United States enters our homes”. This observation underscores the festival’s ambition: “When Africa enters the general public’s screens, it will also show the world the best it has to offer”
Strategic Alliances for International Reach
The success of AFSC 2025 relies on an ecosystem of top-tier partners committed to the long term. EICAR served as the perfect setting for the event, while the Horyou Foundation played a central role in its deployment.
Reinforcing this dynamic, Cemac-Eco.finance positioned itself as a key partner alongside Laboratoires Château Rouge, Asian Merveilles, and the afnetwork-asso.org platform. These strategic collaborations create new bridges between culture, economy, and innovation, uniting private and institutional actors around a common vision: making Paris a global showcase for African and Caribbean cinema.
The “Next Generation” Takeover
Lucien Jean-Baptiste was the vibrant soul of this 2025 edition. A figurehead of Francophone cinema, he galvanized the “Next Generation” with a manifesto: “To all creators present: the camera is your weapon, emotion is your ammunition”.
From the opening film Muganga (paying tribute to Dr. Denis Mukwege) to the closing screening of “Tanoé des lagunes, a film by Sidiki Bakaba”, the festival drew an emotional line between the heroism of reality and the poetry of fiction
THE OFFICIAL 2025 AWARDS LIST (PALMARÈS)
After reviewing 65 films from 32 countries, the jury and the public have delivered their verdict, inscribing the winners into the pantheon of the “Golden Ubuntus”.
Feature Films – Fiction
The main competition honored universal narratives, marked by a historic double win for Melchy Obiang.
- GOLDEN UBUNTU: Deux Hommes Un Destin – Mustapha Ozgun
- SILVER UBUNTU (Tie): Le Cœur des Hommes – Melchy Obiang
- SILVER UBUNTU (Tie): Diya – Achille Renaimou Ronaimou
- BRONZE UBUNTU: Les Fractures Invisibles – Jean-Michel Loutoby
- JURY PRIZE: Silent Storm – Enah Johnscott
- AUDIENCE AWARD: Le Cœur des Hommes – Melchy Obiang
Short Films – Fiction
The next generation of cinema shone through narrative mastery and emotional impact.
- GOLDEN UBUNTU: Ma Détresse – N’dri Bénédicte Kouadio
- SILVER UBUNTU: Ayo – Yolande Eckel & Françoise Ellong-Gomez
- BRONZE UBUNTU: Inconnu – Ahmed Zitouni
- GRAND JURY PRIZE: Magic Mind – Ahmed Mazen
Acting Awards
- GOLDEN UBUNTU Best Actress: Amelie Mbaye (L’ai-je bien coupée…)
- GOLDEN UBUNTU Best Actor: Landry Gnamba (Silence Mortel)
Documentaries: Reality Sublimated
Feature Documentaries
- GOLDEN UBUNTU: Sunu Yoon – Jean-Marie Mallet
- SILVER UBUNTU: Diaze – Un regard sur Mayotte – Solene Anson
- BRONZE UBUNTU: Sur les Traces de Ville Cruelle – Tamnou Koloko & Sarah D. Tchouatcha
- JURY PRIZE: Ndar Saga Waalo – Ousmane-William Mbaye
Short Documentaries
- GOLDEN UBUNTU: Lapo Chapé – Mélissandre Monatus
- SILVER UBUNTU: Des Ailes dZ Elles – Redha Menassel
- BRONZE UBUNTU: Walvis Tale – Tim Huebschle
- JURY PRIZE: No Air to Breathe – Nesrine Lotfy Elzayat
“L’Afrique Fait Son Cinéma” stands as a vital cultural bridge, transforming Paris into an open window on the world. It invites the international public to move beyond clichés and discover a plural, vibrant, and authentic Africa
.