The 5th edition of the Festival du cinéma (FECIM) officially opened on October 1, 2026, at the Don Champagnat Cultural Center in Koumra, Chad. The festival, which runs for three days, brings together filmmakers, young talents, artists, media professionals, and delegations from Chad and the sub-region. This year's theme is "Cinema, a path to climate: raising awareness about climate change through images." The festival aims to use cinema as a tool to tell stories about the territory, raise awareness among communities, and provide a platform for young people to express themselves on environmental issues.
The opening ceremony was attended by authorities, cinema professionals, media representatives, artists, young participants, and delegations from several provinces in Chad and abroad. The president of the festival's organizing committee, Longaye Martine, praised the efforts that made this edition possible, highlighting the commitment of the organizing team, volunteers, technical and financial partners, and authorities. Martine invited young people to take advantage of the presence of professionals to learn, exchange ideas, ask questions, and share their thoughts.
The festival's program includes workshops on scenario writing, acting, video editing, camera work, and communication, as well as masterclasses, film screenings, an official competition, and meetings between professionals and media. The festival has come a long way since its creation five years ago, when it was just an initiative by a few young Chadian filmmakers and actors. Despite facing several challenges, including finding partners and organizational constraints, the festival has grown and now attracts delegations and professionals from different horizons.
This year's edition features delegations from Moundou, Grand Moyen-Chari, Béjando, and N'Djaména, as well as guests from the sub-region, including Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire. Naradoum David, representing the president of the Mandoul Provincial Council, noted that the festival's growth shows that a local initiative can become a cultural event that transcends provincial borders. He emphasized the importance of training young people in cinema in Koumra and allowing them to tell their own stories as a form of cultural decentralization.
The theme of this edition resonates particularly in a province where a large part of the population lives off agriculture. David called on young people to take up the camera to document the effects of climate change and contribute to advocacy for the environment. Mme Tarmadji Ndoaoudoumgard Nicole, representing the Ministry of Tourism Development, Culture, and Handicrafts, highlighted the significance of the theme, noting that cinema can show the effects of climate change on land, natural resources, and populations, while encouraging communities to better protect their environment.
Nicole encouraged young artists and filmmakers to create and tell stories about climate challenges, praising the presence of filmmakers and guests from different regions of Chad and the sub-region. Guéry Alladabaye, secretary of the Koumra town hall, noted that hosting the festival is an opportunity to showcase Koumra's hospitality and promote knowledge sharing in the field of cinema. He also recalled the role of cinema in raising awareness about climate change.
The festival's activities were officially launched by Djimas Djedouboum, secretary general of the government's delegate to the Mandoul province. He encouraged participants, particularly young people, to make the most of the experience of professionals present during the three days. The festival aims to provide young people with the means to tell their stories and address the challenges faced by their communities, using cinema as a language to talk about Mandoul and raise awareness about climate issues.
Key points
- The festival's theme is "Cinema, a path to climate: raising awareness about climate change through images."
- The festival brings together filmmakers, artists, and media professionals from Chad and the sub-region.
- The event aims to use cinema as a tool to raise awareness about climate change and promote cultural exchange.
