# FESPACO 2023

FESPACO 2023 is the 28th edition of the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou. It took place from 25 February to 4 March 2023 in Ouagadougou. The theme of the edition was “African Cinema and Culture of Peace".
It was initially announced that the guest country of honour was Togo, but during the installation ceremony of the members of the National Organizing Committee, Fidèle Tamini, the secretary general of the Ministry of Culture, announced that “in view of challenges of the moment, there is no better partner than Mali to be the guest country of honour."
A total of 170 films were selected from about 1200 submissions to compete in 11 categories.

## Progress
### Preparation

The general delegate Alex Moussa Sawadogo, unveiled the official selection during a press conference in Ouagadougou on 13 January 2023. He announced that the estimated budget for the 2023 edition was approximately 2 billion CFA francs.
The selection committee was made up of African cinema professionals including:
* Pedro Pimenta - Mozambican producer
* Lina Chabanne - Tunisian producer
* Guy Désiré Yaméogo - Burkinabé producer
* Laza Razanajatovo - Malagasy filmmaker
* Claire Diao - Burkinabé film critic and distributor
* Farah Clémentine Dramani-Issoufou - Beninois programmer and researcher
* Enoka Julien Ayemba - Cameroonian film researcher and critic
* Hawa Essuman - Kenyan director
The Yennenga Workshops aiming to support fims in the post-production phase and to promote the immersion of aspiring cinema professional swas launched. The Yennenga Post-production jury was chaired by South African director and producer Tiny Mungwe.
As part of the Yennenga workshops, FESPACO launched the first edition of the French-speaking Africa Coproduction Market called “Yennenga Coproduction”, dedicated to feature-length fiction film projects seeking partners, particularly financial ones, with fifteen directors or producers established in the French-speaking countries of West and Central Africa. 17 feature film fiction projects were selected. The 2023 edition of the Yennenga Academy was supported by Nigerien filmmaker, Aïcha Macky.
On 15 September, the United States Embassy donated computers, screens and printers to FESPACO worth more than 16 million CFA francs.
On 15 February, 2023, the Burkinabè National Lottery (LONAB) offered 50 million to FESPACO for the organization of the 28th edition.

### Context

Preparations for the 28th FESPACO were marred by security concerns. The organizing committee however assured the attending public that security measures were put in place to ensure a "secure FESPACO". The announcement to maintain the 28th edition on the planned date was made on December 1, 2022, a decision taken by the President of the Transition “who notes significant progress in the preparations”.

### The Official Poster

This poster designed by El Marto represents the legendary figure of Sarraounia to illustrate the theme “African Cinema and Culture of Peace”. Sarraounia means queen in Hausa. This name was given to an Amazon, political and religious leader of the village of Lougou in Niger, who opposed the Voulet-Chanoine mission. She is the subject of the 1986 film Sarraounia based on the novel of the same name by Nigerien writer Abdoulaye Mamani. The film won the Etalon de Yennenga in 1987.
According to the FESPACO communication, the poster is “a symbol of African pride, resistance, and resilience” which “emphasizes a fighter with her warrior attributes at a time when we must highlight the Forces of Defense and Security and the Volunteers for the Defense of the Fatherland, to salute their sacrifice, their courage and their patriotic commitment”.

### Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony took place on Saturday February 25 at the Palais des Sports de Ouaga 2000 with the show I have a dream by choreographer Serge Aimé Coulibaly. The Burkinabe prime minister, Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla and the Malian prime minister, Choguel Kokalla Maïga jointly gave the traditional opening clap.
During the professional opening in the evening, the film Bravo, Burkina! by Nigerian director and designer Walé Oyéjidé, which reminds us how interconnected the world was screened.

### Highlights

Two new statues were inaugurated on avenue Monseigneur Thévenoud from the filmmakers' square in front of the central town hall depicting the Malian filmmaker Cheick Oumar Sissoko and the Nigerien filmmaker Oumarou Ganda.
A bust of Ousmane Sembène was unveiled in front of the FESPACO headquarters on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of his birth. His bust joins that of another Senegalese director, Paulin Soumanou Vieyra which was installed in 2017.
A week before the festival, free open-air sessions were organized for those displaced by terrorism in the town of Kaya, as well as during FESPACO in the districts of Bassinko, Pissy, Dassasgho and on the Place de la Nation in the city center. After FESPACO, the traditional mini-FESPACO was held in Bobo-Dioulasso. This was followed by another edition from March 15 to 25 in Banfora with the theme of the role of internally displaced persons in the management of the security crisis.

### Juries

The juries were composed of African cinema personalities thus:
* Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha chaired the Feature Film Jury, made up of Abdoulaye Konaté, Michèle Rakotoson, Licínio Azevedo, Khadar Ayderus Ahmed, Odile Sankara and Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese.
* South African producer Steven Markovitz chaired the Feature Documentary jury, made up of Dieudo Hamadi, Christophe Konkobo, Hicham Falah, N'Goné Fall, Jessica and Kidi Aïcha Macky.
* Nigerian director Kunle Afolayan chairs the Perspectives jury, made up of Rabih El-Khoury, Wendy Bashi, Karim Aïtouna and Issiaka Konaté.
* Former FESPACO general delegate Ardjouma Soma chaired the jury of the Burkina section, made up of Dr Dorothée Dognon, Pocas Pascoal, Fargass Assandé and Aboubacar Demba Cissokho.
* Cameroonian director Françoise Ellong-Gomez chaired the FESPACO shorts jury, made up of Boureima Salouka, Souleymane Kebe, Hirst Shebat and Glasgow-Maeda Neigeme.
* Ivorian-Guadeloupean producer Gnama Baddy Dega chaired the TV series/animation jury, made up of Toumani Sangaré, Daniel Atchali, Séraphine Angoula and Kandy Guira.
* Cape Verdean producer Pedro Soulé chaired the film school film jury, made up of Raymond M. Tiendrebeogo, Jacqueline Murekeyisoni, Sitou Ayité and Andrey Diarra.

### Masterclass, Forum debates and round tables

Masterclasses were organized with:
* Souleymane Cissé and Gaston Kaboré for fiction
* Jean-Marie Teno and Michel K. Zongo for documentary
* Dora Bouchoucha and Steven Markovitz for production
* Samantha Biffot and Fatou Kandé Senghor for TV series
* Maurice H. Ouedraogo, Martine Somé and Pathé Ouedraogo for costume design
Every morning at the professional space, debate forums allowed the audience and festival participants to meet filmmakers and discuss their films.
Roundtable discussions covered the following themes:
* Scriptwriting, adaptation and novelization: How to pool resources and skills to support literature, cinema, and audiovisuals in Africa?
* The presence of the Diaspora at FESPACO: A historical and critical reflection.
* FESPACO in the Diaspora: Connections with international festivals and proposals for an integrated future.
* On the occasion of the centenary of Sembène Ousmane's birth, for a critical approach to his work (African Federation of Film Critics).
* Sankofa Challenge - The Movie.
* FEPACI on film restoration.
* South-South and global co-productions.
* Film markets in Africa and beyond - what opportunities for creators?

## Selection
### Feature fiction films

Fifteen films from thirteen countries competed for the Yennenga Gold Standard. Eight were made by women.
| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Abu Saddam | Nadine Khan | Egypt | 89 |
| Ashkal | Youssef Chebbi | Tunisia | 92 |
| Bantu Mama | Ivan Herrera | Dominican Republic | 77 |
| Mami Wata | CJ "Fiery" Obasi | Nigeria | 107 |
| Maputo Nakuzandza | Ariadine Zampaulo | Mozambique | 60 |
| My father, the devil | Ellie Foumbi | Cameroon | 108 |
| Our Lady of The Chinese Shop | Ery Claver | Angola | 98 |
| Shimoni | Angela Wamai | Kenya | 97 |
| Simin Zetwal (Looking at the stars) | David Constantine | Mauritius | 92 |
| Sira | Apolline Traore | Burkina Faso | 120 |
| The Blue Caftan | Maryam Touzani | Morocco | 123 |
| The Last Queen | Damien Ounouri | Algeria | 113 |
| The Planter's Plantation | Dingha Eystein Young | Cameroon | 114 |
| Under the Fig Trees | Erige Sehiri | Tunisia | 92 |
| Xalé, the Wounds of Childhood | Moussa Sene Absa | Senegal | 101 |

### Feature-length documentaries

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Original Paradise ( Al Djanat ) | Chloé Aïcha Boro | Burkina Faso | 85 |
| Pick Me ( Amchilini ) | Kader Allamine | Chad | 68 |
| In the Film Cemetery | Thierno Souleymane Diallo | Guinea | 93 |
| Doxandem, the dream chasers | Saliou Sarr | Senegal | 88 |
| Fatima - a short life | Hakim El Hachoumi | Morocco | 80 |
| Guardian of the worlds | Leila Chaïbi | Algeria | 91 |
| Geology of Separation | Yosr Gasmi and Mauro Mazzocchi | Tunisia | 152 |
| I Remain a Photographer | Ananias Leki Dago | Ivory Coast | 67 |
| Money, freedom, a history of the CFA franc | Katy Léna N'Diaye | Senegal | 100 |
| MK, Mandela's secret army | Osvalde Lewat | Cameroon | 61 |
| Lagos Tangier, One Way ( No U-Turn ) | Ike Nnaebue | Nigeria | 94 |
| We, Students! | Rafiki Fariala | Central African Republic | 82 |
| Omi Nobu ( The New Man ) | Carlos Yuri Ceuninck | Cape Verde | 67 |
| Gold of Life | Boubacar Sangaré | Burkina Faso | 90 |

### Short film fiction (FESPACO shorts 1)

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| A doll's house in memory of men and their dreams of ashes buried under the gaze of midnight while the gentle bars of the animal maze open the true master of the cage and the lies of the fold | Andriaminosoa Hary Joël Rakotovelo | Madagascar | 20 |
| Agwe | Samuel Suffren | Haiti | 17 |
| Astel | Ramata-Toulaye Sy | Senegal | 24 |
| Double I | Lauren Providencia Sanou | Burkina Faso | 16 |
| On the way | Leslie To | Burkina Faso | 09 |
| Mundele game / Game of chance | Khadafi Mbuyamba | Democratic Republic of Congo | 30 |
| Spring days | Imad Badi | Morocco | 18 |
| Khadiga | Morad Mostafa | Egypt | 20 |
| The Messenger of God | Amina Abdoulaye Mamani | Niger | 23 |
| Sunday Morning ( Manhã de Domingo ) | Bruno Ribeiro | Brazil | 25 |
| Mulika | Maisha Maene | Democratic Republic of Congo | 14 |
| Patriots | Laurentine Bayala | Burkina Faso | 15 |
| Weave of Tenderness | Ouijdane Khallid | Morocco | 24 |
| Mother Earth (Terra Mater) | Kantarama Gahigiri | Rwanda | 10 |
| Tsutsu | Amartei Armar | Ghana | 15 |
| Twin Lakes Haven | Philbert Aimé Mbabazi Sharangabo | Rwanda | 24 |
| Uje | Jean-Luc Mitana | Rwanda | 19 |
| Will My Parents Come to See Me? ( Are my parents going to come see me? ) | Mo Harawe | Somalia | 28 |
| Yes! | John Oluwole Adekoje | Nigeria | 22 |
| Ziwa ( The Lake ) | Samuel Tebandeke | Uganda | 15 |

### Short film documentaries (FESPACO shorts 2)

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Blind Spot | Lotfi Achour | Tunisia | 13 |
| Burkina Babes | Kagho Idhebor | Nigeria | 7 |
| Cuba in Africa | Negash Abdurahman | Ethiopia | 22 |
| Katanga Nation | Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia | 27 |
| Kelasi | Fransix Tenda Lomba | Democratic Republic of Congo | 10 |
| Villa Reynette: cement and love | Evelyne Agli | Benin | 16 |
| The Riders of Tonka | Mohamed Dayfour Diawara | Mali | 11 |
| Louvri pou mwen (Open for me ) | Jess Di Pierro Obert | Haiti | 17 |
| Madame Pipi | Rachelle Salnave | Haiti | 25 |
| Just a smile mother (Mama dan que soriso ) | Cyrielle Raingou | Cameroon | 18 |
| Xaar Yàlla (Waiting for God ) | Mamadou Khouma Gueye | Senegal | 25 |

### Perspective (feature-length fiction and documentaries)

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| The Desert Rocker | Sarah Nacer | Algeria | 75 |
| The Specter of Boko Haram | Cyrielle Raingou | Cameroon | 75 |
| The Scarified | Wabinle Nadie | Burkina Faso | 65 |
| African Moot | Shameela Seedat | South Africa | 85 |
| Annatto | Fatima Boubakdy | Morocco | 103 |
| Can They See Us | Kenny Mumba | Zambia | 90 |
| The Sheep of Saada | Pope Bounam Lopy | Senegal | 75 |
| Otiti | Ema Edosio | Nigeria | 93 |
| Sadrack | Narcissus Wandji | Cameroon | 94 |
| Tooth for tooth | Ottis Ba | Senegal | 87 |
| Soula | Salah Issaad | Algeria | 92 |

### Panorama: feature films

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Alone in a Strange World (fiction) | Joel Sansi | Democratic Republic of Congo | 103 |
| Bangarang (fiction) | Robin Odongo | Kenya | 88 |
| Thorns of the Sahel (fiction) | Boubakar Diallo | Burkina Faso | 92 |
| Gravity (fiction) | Cedric Ido | Burkina Faso | 85 |
| The Ideal Job (fiction) | Gilbert Djoliba Bararmna-Boukpessi | Togo | 96 |
| The Pantheon of Joy (fiction) | Jean Odoutan | Benin | 97 |
| The Umbrella Men ( fiction) | John Barker | South Africa | 115 |
| Bobi Wine: The People's President (documentary) | Moses Bwayo | Uganda | 121 |
| The Taxi, The Cinema and Me (documentary) | Salam Zampaligré | Burkina Faso | 69 |
| Maayo Wonaa Keerol ( The River is Not a Border ) (documentary) | Alassane Diago | Senegal | 105 |
| Min al Qahira (From Cairo) (documentary) | Hala Galal | Egypt | 63 |
| Rewind and Play (documentary) | Alain Gomis | Senegal | 65 |
| Xaraasi Xanne ( The Crossed Voices ) (documentary) | Boubou Toure | Mali | 120 |
| Nayola (fiction, animation) | José Miguel Ribeiro | Angola | 83 |

### Burkina section (feature fiction and documentary films)

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Laabli the Elusive (documentary) | Luc Youlouka Damiba | Burkina Faso | 72 |
| The Gallop (documentary) | Eléonore Yaméogo | Burkina Faso | 80 |
| The Sam Mory Affair (fiction) | Boubakar Diallo | Burkina Faso | 90 |
| The Sermon of the Prophets (fiction) | Seydou Boundaone | Burkina Faso | 98 |
| Madi and Saga (fiction) | Yacouba Napon | Burkina Faso | 111 |
| Malla, as far as the night lasts (fiction) | Dramane Ouedraogo | Burkina Faso | 96 |

### Burkina section (short fiction and documentary films)

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Pains of women's lives | Habibou Zoungrana | Burkina Faso | 24 |
| Elisa (doc) | Faisal Léonce Soura | Burkina Faso | 13 |
| The Botanist | Floriane Zoundi | Burkina Faso | 13 |
| Innocence | Thomas Hénoc Ouedraogo | Burkina Faso | 15 |
| Papa Eric the tender | Wendkoagnda Gaston Bonkoungou | Burkina Faso | 11 |
| Stay Up | Aïssata Ouarma | Burkina Faso | 35 |

### Television series

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Further and further | Hervé Eric Lengani | Burkina Faso | 52x2 |
| Fanga / The Power | Fousseyni Maïga | Mali | 26x3 |
| Here is C Babi | Boris Oue | Ivory Coast | 13x6 |
| Isabelle | Kismath Baguiri | Benin | 26x3 |
| Chic, shock, failure | Jérémie Tchoua | Gabon | 26x3 |
| The Imam, the chicken and the pastor | Dramane Gnessi | Burkina Faso | 26x3 |
| O Batanga | Alex Ogou | Ivory Coast | 52x2 |
| Nouka union | Gilbert Assi | Ivory Coast | 26x3 |
| A man to marry | Jean-Jules Porquet | Ivory Coast | 26x3 |
| Revenge | Simon William Kum | Cameroon | 26x3 |
| Yaay 2.0 | Serigne Ababacar Ba | Senegal | 26x3 |

### Animated films

| Title | Director | Country | Duration |
| Apache | Dubien Fortuné Tsete | Republic of Congo | 07 |
| Begho | Victoria Aryee and Daniel Kumah | Ghana | 08 |
| Fadi the Village of Transform | Cheick Ouattara | Mali | 08 |
| Impa the Unmeshed | Bomale Christian Hermann Kouamé | Ivory Coast | 16 |
| Kendila | Nadia Rais | Tunisia | 12 |
| Kwaba | Pierre-Marie Sindo | Ivory Coast | 02 |
| The Shadow of the Butterflies | Sofia El Khyari | Morocco | 09 |
| The Affront | Negueba Traore | Mali | 03 |
| The Palimpsests | Ingrid Agbo | Togo | 07 |
| My grandpa | Komi Messan Anthony | Togo | 07 |
| On the Surface | Fan Sissoko | Mali | 04 |
| Paya and Koulou | Dramane Minta | Mali | 15 |
| Princess Yennenga | Abdoul Rayhim Saïd Junior Koné | Burkina Faso | 13 |
| Queen of Guera | Khalil Salma | Chad | 29 |
| Storm in a Calabash | Serge Dimitri Pitroipa | Burkina Faso | 15 |
| The Pyramid | Mohamed Ghazala | Egypt | 07 |

### Films from African cinema schools

| Title | Director | School | Country |
| March 7 | Alioune Fall | ESAV | Morocco |
| Whose fault is it | Ramatoulaye Bah | ISAMK | Guinea |
| Annaelle | Pierre Nicolas Mbumba | INPTIC | Gabon |
| Over time | Fassar Maurice Sarr | ESAV | Morocco |
| Confusion | Ornel Franckeski Mengue Dzo | INPTIC | Gabon |
| Tomorrow | Joseph Avimadje | ISMA | Benin |
| Eliza | Yowane Mezembe | INPTIC | Gabon |
| The East Station | Esso-Domna Roger Atana | ESEC | Togo |
| The gong rang | Altidor Gildas | ENSTIC UAC | Benin |
| the Boson Worshipers | Othniel Bonzi | ISTC Polytechnique | Ivory Coast |
| Open eyes | Armel Pengdwende Ariel Pouya | ISIS-SE | Burkina Faso |
| The impression | Ulrich Houndji | ENSTIC | Benin |
| Mataha | Ahmed Nader | Academy of Arts - High Cinema Institute | Egypt |
| Me and me | Adam Bana | ISMA, Benin | Benin |
| More than a duty | Mohamed Allabi | ISMA, Benin | Benin |
| For better and not worse | Judicaël Nzamba | INPTIC | Gabon |
| Back to basics | Danielle Esther Biyo'o Anding | IFCPA | Cameroon |
| Rogm Sebre / Birth certificate | Arlette Jessica Valia | ISIS-SE, Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso |
| Rescue | David Effaly | IUA | Ivory Coast |
| Souk | Wendkoagnda Gaston Bonkoungou | ISIS-SE, Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso |
| In the footsteps of my ancestors | Zeinab Soumahoro | ISTC Polytechnique | Ivory Coast |
| Traffic / Shakchouka | Iheb Abidi | ISAMM | Tunisia |

## Prize list
### Official selection

The prices on the official list represent a total of 108 million CFA francs.

#### Feature fiction films

| Prize | Winner | Country |
| Gold standard (20 M CFA francs) | Ashkal by Youssef Chebbi | Tunisia |
| Silver standard (10 M CFA francs) endowed and sponsored by the Delegation of the European Union | Sira by Apolline Traoré | Burkina Faso |
| Bronze standard (5 M CFA francs) | Shimoni by Angela Wamai | Kenya |
| Special mention from the jury | Looking at the Stars by David Constantin | Mauritius |
| Best screenplay (3 M CFA francs) endowed and sponsored by TV5 Monde | The Blue Caftan by Maryam Touzani | Morocco |
| Best image (1 M CFA francs) | Mami Wata by CJ "Fiery" Obasi | Nigeria |
| Best sound (1 M CFA francs) | Ashkal by Youssef Chebbi | Tunisia |
| Best music (1 M CFA francs) | Our Lady of the Chinese Shop by Ery Claver | Angola |
| Best decor (1 M CFA francs) | Mami Wata by CJ "Fiery" Obasi | Nigeria |
| Best editing (1 M CFA francs) | Abu Saddam by Nadine Khan | Egypt |
| Best female performance and best male performance (1 M FCFA x 2) | All the actors in Under the Fig Trees by Erige Sehiri | Tunisia |

#### Feature-length documentaries

| Price | Winner | Country |
| Gold standard (10 M CFA francs) endowed and sponsored by the United Nations System in Burkina Faso | Omi Nobu / The new man by Carlos Yuri Ceuninck | Cape Verde |
| Silver standard (5 M CFA francs) sponsored by LONAB | We, Students! by Rafiki Fariala | Central African Republic |
| Bronze standard (3 M FCFA) | Guardian of the Worlds by Leïla Chaibi | Algeria |
| Special mention | Money, Freedom, a History of the CFA franc by Katy Léna N'Diaye | Senegal |
| Special mention | At the Cemetery by Thierno Souleymane Diallo | Guinea |

#### Fiction short films (Fespaco shorts 1)

Endowed and sponsored by the International Organization of La Francophonie.
| Price | Winner | Country |
| Golden foal (5 M CFA francs) | Will My Parents Come to See Me by Mo Harawe | Somalia |
| Silver foal (3 M CFA francs) | A Doll House in the Memory of the Men and Their Dreams of Ash Buried Under the Sight of Midnight for the Sweet Rods of the Sweet Rods of the Warren Farm Cover the True Lord of the Cage and the Lullabies by Andriaminosoa Hary and Joël Rakotovelo | Madagascar |
| Bronze foal (2 M FCFA) | Tsutsue by Armatei Armar | Ghana |
| Special mention | The Messenger of God by Amina Abdoulaye Mamani | Niger |
| Special mention | Mother Earth by Kantarama Gahigiri | Rwanda |

#### Documentary short films (Fespaco shorts 2)

| Prize | Winner | Country |
| Golden foal (5 M CFA francs) | Blind spot by Lotfi Achour | Tunisia |
| Silver foal (3 M CFA francs) | Katanga Nation by Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia |
| Bronze foal (2 M FCFA) | Kelasi by Fransix Tenda Lomba | Democratic Republic of Congo |

#### Perspectives Section

| Prize | Winner | Country |
| Oumarou Ganda Prize for best first work or second work of feature-length fiction film (2 M CFA francs) | Soula by Salah Isaad | Algeria |
| Paul Robeson Prize for best first work or second work of feature-length documentary film (2 M CFA francs) | Le spectre de Boko Haram by Cyrielle Raingou | Cameroon |
| Special mention | The Sheep of Saada by Pape Bounam Lopy | Senegal |

#### Burkina section

| Prize | Winner | Country |
| Grand Prize from the President of Burkina Faso for the best Burkinabè film (5 M CFA) | Laabli the elusive by Luc Youlouka Damiba | Burkina Faso |
| Grand Prize from the President of Burkina Faso for the best Burkinabe hopeful (3 M CFA francs) | The Botanist by Floriane Zoundi | Burkina Faso |
| Grand prize of the President of Burkina Faso Revelation of cinema (2 M CFA francs) endowed by the Burkinabè Copyright Office (BBDA) | Malla, as far as the night lasts by Dramane Ouédraogo | Burkina Faso |

#### TV series, animation, African film from film schools

| Price | Assigned to | Country |
| 1st Prize for Best TV Series (2 M CFA francs) | O Batanga by Alex Ogou | Ivory Coast |
| 2nd Prize for Best TV Series (1 M CFA francs) | Further and further away from Hervé Eric Lengani and Fabien Dao | Burkina Faso |
| Special Mention TV Series | Here is C Babi by Boris Oué | Ivory Coast |
| Special Mention TV Series | Fanga / The Power of Fousseyni Maiga | Mali |
| 1st Prize for animated short film (3M Fcfa) | Kendila by Nadia Rais | Tunisia |
| 1st Prize animated film television series (2 M CFA francs) | Paya and Koulou by Dramane Minta | Mali |
| Special mention animated films | The Palimpsests by Ingrid Agbo | Togo |
| Special mention animated films | Queen of Guera by Khalil Salma | Chad |
| 1st Prize for best African film from film schools (2 M CFA francs) | Whose fault is Ramatoulaye Bah, ISAMK? | Guinea |
| 2nd Prize for best African film from film schools (1 M CFA francs) | In the footsteps of my ancestors by Zeinab Soumahoro, ISTC Polytechnique | Ivory Coast |
| Special mention African film from film schools | Rogm Sebre / Birth certificate of Arlette Jessica Valia, ISIS-SE, Burkina Faso | Burkina Faso |
| Special mention African film from film schools | More than a duty by Mohamed Allabi, ISMA, Benin | Benin |

### Special prize list

The special prizes were awarded on Friday March 3, 2023, the day before closing. 106 milion CFA francs were awarded in prizes.
| Prize | Winner | Country |
| Thomas Sankara Short Film Prize (Guild of Directors and Producers, 3 M CFA) | Cuba in Africa by Negash Abdurahman | Ethiopia |
| ECOWAS special prize for integration for the Best West African film, 15 M CFA francs) | No U-Turn - A Journey from Lagos to Tangier by Ike Nnaebue | Nigeria |
| ECOWAS Prize for the Best West African Director (10 M CFA francs) | Sira by Apolline Traoré | Burkina Faso |
| ECOWAS Prize for the Best Film School Director (2 M CFA francs) | More Than a Duty by Mohamed Allabi | Benin |
| ECOWAS Prize for the Best Child actor or actress (1 M CFA francs) | Nguissaly Barry in Xalé, by Moussa Sene Absa | Senegal |
| Special Prize Burkina International Plan for Equality for Girls for combativeness and innovation in favor of girls (5 M CFA francs) | The Planter's Plantation by Dingha Eystein Young | Cameroon |
| Special Prize Transitional Legislative Assembly of Burkina Faso (7 M CFA) | Sira by Apolline Traoré | Burkina Faso |
| Paulin Soumanou Vieyra African Critics Prize ( FACC ) | Mami Wata by CJ "Fiery" Obasi | Nigeria |
| UEMOA special prize for feature film fiction (8 M CFA francs) | Xalé, the childhood wounds of Moussa Sene Absa | Senegal |
| UEMOA special prize for short fiction film (5 M CFA francs) | The Messenger of God by Amina A. Mamani | Niger |
| UEMOA special prize for feature documentary (8 M CFA francs) | The Riders of Tonka by Mohamed Dayfour Diawara | Mali |
| UEMOA special prize for short documentary film (5 M CFA francs) | Al Djanat (Original Paradise) by Chloé Aïcha Boro | Burkina Faso |
| Ecobank Sembène Ousmane special prize (5 M CFA) | The Planter's Plantation by Dingha Eystein Young | Cameroon |
| Special prize from the Gambere Ernest Fund (2 M CFA francs) | The Messenger of God by Amina A. Mamani | Niger |
| LONAB Lucky Prize (5 M CFA) | The Messenger of God by Amina A. Mamani | Niger |
| Félix Houphouet-Boigny Prize from the Conseil de l’Entente (10 M CFA francs) | Sira by Apolline Traoré | Burkina Faso |
| Ababacar Samb Makharam price of the city of Ouagadougou (3 M CFA) | Al Djanat (Original Paradise) by Chloé Aïcha Boro | Burkina Faso |
| Wateraid Special Prize for Climate, Water and Sanitation in Africa (5 M CFA) | Sira by Apolline Traoré | Burkina Faso |
| Prize of the Burkina-Niger Episcopal Conference (2 M CFA francs) | The Messenger of God by Amina A. Mamani | Niger |
| Special price from the Laafi la Boumbou association (5 M CFA) | Sira, on the road by Fousseini Maïga | Mali |