Africa’s biggest film festival initially slated to hold in Burkina Faso’s capital in Ouagadougou late February, has been postponed till October.
The Pan-African Festival of Cinema and Television of Ouagadougou, known by its acronym in French – FESPACO – is an highly-anticipated bi-annual showcase.
In its 27th year, the festival which was initially set for February 27 to March 6, was shifted on January 29 as the country prepared for its second wave of COVID-19.
Government spokesman, Ousseni Tamboura, announced at a press briefing on Wednesday that the cabinet had decided to reschedule the festival to October 16 – 23.
The event will take place with social distancing and other precautions to prevent the spread of COVID, he said.
The 700 people who had been invited to the previous FESPACO would now be cut to 150 this year to help reduce infection risk.
Similarly, opening ceremonies will take place in Ouagadougou’s Palais des Sports, a 5,000-seater stadium, instead of the city’s Joseph Conombo municipal stadium, which has a capacity of 25,000.
The festival is closely followed by the US and European movie industries, which scout the event for new films, talent and ideas.
