Out Of Africa: The Cannes Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 79th edition
The Cannes Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 79th edition, with titles from Rwanda, Central African Republic Named In Official Selection Festival director Thierry Frémaux revealed the Official Selection at a press conference today (April 9) at the Pathe Palace cinema in Paris alongside festival president Iris Knobloch. Frémaux said 2,541 features were submitted – 1,000 […]
Black News 
The Cannes Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 79th edition, with titles from Rwanda, Central African Republic Named In Official Selection
Festival director Thierry Frémaux revealed the Official Selection at a press conference today (April 9) at the Pathe Palace cinema in Paris alongside festival president Iris Knobloch. Frémaux said 2,541 features were submitted – 1,000 more than 10 years ago but down on last year’s record figure of 2,909 submissions.
The titles from the African continent competing in Un Certain Regard include:
Ben’Imana (Cote d’Ivoire/Gabon/Rwanda)
Director: Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo
Synopsis: Veneranda, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, is forced to confront her past when her daughter gets pregnant.
Before Cannes, the project appeared at Ouaga Film Lab in 2019, La Fabrique Cinéma in 2022, Durban FilmMart in 2024, and the Red Sea Souk Project Market in 2025. At the Red Sea Souk Awards 2025, it received the Red Sea Souk Post-Production Award, which included a $40,000 grant, and the Filmmore in-kind award valued at $32,500.
Congo Boy (Central African Republic/Democratic Republic of Congo)
Director: Rafiki Fariala
Synopsis: Robert, a 17-year-old Congolese refugee in Bangui, cares for his four younger siblings while trying to become a musician after his parents are imprisoned.
Congo Boy was selected for Atlas Ateliers in 2022.
Announcements still to come are the main parallel sections and related festival layers, including Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week, and ACID.
This year’s festival will take place from 12 to 23 May, 2026.
