The curtain rose on Monday, 2 November, on the 13th edition of the Émergence Festival. Until 11 November, the Togolese capital becomes a showcase for cinema, under a theme that sums up this year’s ambition: “Africa-Europe Film Encounters in Togo”.
This edition stands out for one reason. It carries the “Festival Nomade” label and is being built hand in hand with Off-Courts, a festival based in Trouville, Normandy. According to festival director Joël Tchedre, the idea is to pair a well-established local festival with a European one to co-produce a joint edition. After music, dance and theatre, cinema is now benefiting from this model, which is part of the European programme Togo Créatif.
The competition brings together 38 short films and 5 feature films from ten African countries and the diaspora. Animation, documentary and fiction share the bill, in keeping with the spirit of a festival founded in 2014 to showcase short films by young filmmakers from the continent.
Beyond the screenings, Émergence sees itself as a school. Participants can take workshops in acting, screenwriting and directing, while a development lab provides mentoring to 18 producers and directors. A second lab brings together some thirty young West African talents, around ten European professionals and five Togolese technicians to shoot short films, which will then be screened during the festival. For its director, supporting the next generation remains essential so that young people can tell their own stories on screen.
The stakes go beyond creation alone. By teaming up with an experienced European partner, the festival aims to encourage the transfer of know-how, open access to new markets and bring forward projects capable of attracting international funding, at a time when Africa’s creative industries are seeking to get organised.
The festival village is set up at the Blue Zone in Cacavéli. From 7 to 11 November, screenings and activities will also spread to Lomé and Aného, giving Togolese audiences around ten days to discover the new faces of African cinema.