Abstract
This article examines small film festivals in the socio-cultural context of Senegal. Through the case study of the Banlieue Films Festival (BFF) in Dakar, founded in 2013 by Abdel Aziz Boye, I analyse the crucial role of festivals in strengthening the film industry, fostering cinephilia and encouraging the practical application of cultural policies. I suggest that contemporary film production, particularly, in the past five years (2015-2020) has been significantly shaped by grassroots initiatives that have eventually been transformed into structures. I also explore the role of “rooted cosmopolitans”, borrowing Kwame Appiah’s term in relation to the figure of Abdel Aziz Boye, who founded Ciné UCAD at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop, in Dakar, Ciné Banlieue, and, upon returning to Senegal from France, the BFF. I discuss BFF’s various forms of legacy, concluding that it has been an active agent in forging a new cinephilia and inspiring a wave of young filmmakers in Senegal.
Highlights
Senegal enjoys an emblematic position in the history of African cinema
Following the increasing independence of African countries from French colonialism, Senegal became the home of pioneering filmmakers who would soon acquire international recognition, such as Ousmane Sembene (19232007), Safi Faye (n. 1943), and Djibril Diop Mambety (1945-1998)
In 1969, Senegal would witness the first film production by Djibril Diop Mambety, Contras’ City / City of Contrasts, an experimental travelogue set in Dakar, which was a kind of “sketch-book” for his ground-breaking film Touki Bouki / Journey of the Hyena (1973), winner of the International Film Critics’ Award at Cannes
Summary
A BST R A C T This article examines small film festivals in the socio-cultural context of Senegal. Through the case study of the Banlieue Films Festival (BFF) in Dakar, founded in 2013 by Abdel Aziz Boye, I analyse the crucial role of festivals in strengthening the film industry, fostering cinephilia and encouraging the practical application of cultural policies. I suggest that contemporary film production, in the past five years (2015-2020) has been significantly shaped by grassroots initiatives that have eventually been transformed into structures. I explore the role of “rooted cosmopolitans”, borrowing Kwame Appiah’s term in relation to the figure of Abdel Aziz Boye, who founded Cine UCAD at the Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, in Dakar, Cine Banlieue, and, upon returning to Senegal from France, the BFF. KE YW O R DS Banlieue Films Festival; Senegalese filmmaking; cinephilia; “rooted cosmopolitan”; film training; ethnography
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