African festivals are among the most famous around the world, and they are held almost everywhere as major portions of other cultural shows. Nonetheless, not many of us are actually aware of the real African festivals apart from what we see on TV.
The top three of the most famous would likely be:
- The National Arts Festival
- The African Union Film Festival
- The Fespaco African Film Festival
Two of these three are film festivals, signifying Africa’s passion for rewarding film-makers and directors from all around the continent.
- The National Arts Festival
It is held annually in Makhanda, South Africa and is one of the biggest African festivals. It brings together arts and culture from around the region under one roof. It’s also important for cultural tourism in South Africa. It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing festivals in the world by visitor number. It was first held 45 years ago.
- The African Union Film Festival
It is very famous. It is a legendary film festival and it is intended to reward the cream of the crop in the film-making industry. It lasts for six days. The festival is a collaboration between National Film and Video Foundation, the Film Resource Unit and Centre for Creative Arts.
- The Fespaco African Film Festival
The Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou is as big and famous as The African Union Film Festival. It is one of the largest film festival on the continent and lasts for over a week. It is held annually in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; where the organization is based.
It accepts films only by African filmmakers and chiefly produced in Africa. This event normally attracts thousands of visitors. It was created in 1969 since then it has evolved into a recognized and respected event.
