Togo will be the guest of honor at the 30th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou, or FESPACO, scheduled for March 20-27, 2027. The decision was announced in the communiqué issued after Burkina Faso’s Council of Ministers meeting on September 24, 2026.
According to the Burkinabe government, the choice is intended to strengthen ties between the two neighboring countries, promote cultural and professional exchanges, and raise the profile of African cinema. The theme of the edition will be “Cinémas d’Afrique et développement endogène”
This will not be the first time Togo has held guest-of-honor status at the festival. The country was also the guest of honor at the 28th edition of FESPACO in 2023, when the distinction recognized reforms aimed at strengthening the country’s film industry.
Togo’s film industry faces several challenges, including limited resources and distribution channels. In recent years, however, the country has strengthened its regulatory framework, notably with the adoption of the Cinema and Moving Image Code in 2021.
That same year, Akplokplobito, an animated film directed by Ingrid Agbo, won the award for best animated film at FESPACO.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi