FESPACO Sets New Date, Opens Visual Design Call

The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) has moved its milestone 30th edition to now run from March 20–27, 2027 — three weeks later than originally announced. The biennial festival in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, will be held under the theme “Cinémas d’Afrique et développement endogène” (“African Cinemas and Endogenous Development”).

The 2027 edition theme is associated with the Burkinabè historian Joseph Ki-Zerbo, who posited that African development must begin with African societies’ own knowledge systems, languages, cultures, and institutions. Captain Ibrahim Traoré‘s government uses the same framing — sovereignty, national resources, reduced dependence on external power.

There was no official communication or explanation about what motivated the three-week shift. But according to the African Film Press, the 2027 Ramadan which will run roughly from February 8 to March 8, with Eid al-Fitr around March 9 to 11 is the obvious explanation. “The previously published February 27 to March 6 window would have placed the festival within the final ten days of Ramadan — the most spiritually intense stretch of the month. The new March 20 to 27 dates fall about ten days after Eid. For a festival in a country with over 60% Muslims, with substantial African and international Muslim attendance, that calendar arithmetic is hard to ignore.” 

The festival opened a call for film submissions from February 24, 2026, and will close on September 20, 2026. The selection committee has 12 members, divided equally between women and men, from 11 countries, including Burkina Faso, Ghana, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Tunisia, Morocco, Brazil, and Comoros.

Additionally, FESPACO has opened a call for the official visual of its 30th edition. Organized by Burkina Faso’s Agence Burkinabé de la Cinématographie et de l’Audiovisuel (ABCA), the call is open to individuals and organizations with proven graphic design skills.

They’re required to submit details including a portfolio, an explanatory note for the visual, a digital version of the visual, a copy of ID card or passport, a mini graphic charter: colors, typography, and usage rules. 

The visual must include the FESPACO logo, dates, edition number, and theme. It must also work across posters, banners, social media, and printed programs. The submission period runs from May 22 to June 21, 2026. Selected works will receive  3,000,000 CFA francs, approximately €4,573 / $5,326. 

The selected visual will become FESPACO’s exclusive property, with transfer of usage rights. Applicants can find more information here.