Dakar is preparing to vibrate to the rhythm of African series with the holding of the second edition of the Dakar Séries festival, from October 8 to 12, 2024 at the French Institute. Led by a collective of young professionals from the African audiovisual sector, like Issaka Sawadogo from Burkina Faso, Séraphine Angoula from Cameroon and Rokhaya Niang from Senegal, this event aims to be a springboard for the continent’s audiovisual production.
After the success of the first edition, Dakar Séries, the pan-African series festival, returns from October 8 to 12, 2024 at the French Institute of Dakar. For this new edition, the director and cultural mediator, Amina Awa Niang, coordinator of the pan-African festival Dakar Séries, promises a beautiful and rich program. “We are aware that the continent’s audiovisual production is rich and abundant. And Dakar Séries sees itself as the opportunity to shine the spotlight on all the creativity that is happening on the continent and outside too,” declared Amina Awa Niang yesterday during a press conference. According to him, this festival is positioned as a response to the major challenges facing the African audiovisual ecosystem, particularly in terms of structuring and networking. “One of the objectives of Dakar Séries is also to bring together these isolated ecosystems and create energy to reflect on the challenges of structuring the audiovisual sector. “It’s a festival aimed primarily at young people,” she says.
Supported by a collective of professionals from the African audiovisual sector, like the distinguished Burkinabè actor Issaka Sawadogo, Séraphine Angoula from Cameroon and Rokhaya Niang from Senegal, Dakar Séries, according to its organizers, offers an African competition of 15 series from 10 countries including 3 from Senegal and a perspective selection with 6 international series and special screenings, “all this on the big screen”. Among the flagship series, we find Yaay 2.0 by Kalista Sy and Wassanam by Pape Abdoulaye Seck, which will represent Senegal, alongside productions such as Nazi Bubu (Tanzania), Jib Darkoum (Morocco), Stout, (South Africa ), Big Girl Small World (Kenya), No Bla Bla (Burkina Faso) and Cheta’am (Nigeria). “For the selection of series in long African competition, we find Or Blanc, an Ivorian series, Al Mouktafi (the missing) from Morocco, Niabla from Ivory Coast, Dmou3 Lawlia from Algeria and Lex Africana from Senegal”, informs Kana Frank, programming manager of Dakar Séries.
Beyond screenings, Dakar Séries also offers professional meetings with workshops, debates, masterclasses, and a day dedicated to professionals. “The Ministry of Culture, through Fopica, is offering a prize of one million CFA francs to reward the best series,” adds Amina Awa Niang. Congratulating himself on having brought together series from the four corners of the world, Kana Frank clarified that the challenge had been met. “Our goal was to have series from four continents, and the challenge was met. We still have a selection which represents a fine sample of what is currently best on the continent. And we also offer great diversity in terms of countries and genres, which embody our programming,” he said.
Responsible for the festival’s programming, he also believes that it was important for them to show things that do not necessarily circulate in Africa, for this edition. For the series in perspective, he indicates that Caribbean series such as Wish (Guadeloupe) and Zetwal Caribbean (Martinique and Guadeloupe) will also be part of the out-of-competition selection. This second edition, in partnership with Séries Mania, the largest series festival based in Lille, he adds, will also make it possible to discover works such as the British series Boarders and the French production Ourika. In addition, two special series will be screened, African Empires (France, Cameroon and Ivory Coast) and Dj Medhi: Made In France, a French series which will be screened during the opening ceremony on October 7 at the Institute French.
By Ousmane SOW
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