Women In Film Los Angeles is pleased to introduce the WIFT Africa Delegation at Cannes 2026!
Visit us at the Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
This is your opportunity to meet, collaborate with, and learn from the women shaping Africa’s fastest-growing creative economy — spanning Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Cameroon, South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Côte d’Ivoire.
30-minute meeting slots are available, please BOOK HERE. You will receive an email ahead of your meeting with information on the attending delegates. Slots are limited — we look forward to building something meaningful together.
Marché badge required.
OUR FILM PICKS
DIRECTORS FORTNIGHT
Clarissa
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
UN CERTAIN REGARD
Ben’Imana
SHORTS CORNER
8:38
LA CINEF COMPETITION
Shadows of the Moonless Night
Naina Dargan (Actor, Casting Director, WIF Member)
MARCHÉ DU FILM
Romare Bearden: A Life In Collage
AMERICAN PAVILLION, EMERGING FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE
Dandelion
Tori Ichikowitz (Producer, WIF Member)
Poisoned Skies
Caroline Friend (Writer, Director, Producer, WIF Member)
Saveiro
Ellen Ancui (Writer, Director, WIF Member)
EVENTS
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
Bridging Borders: Co-Production & European Ties
May 12, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
Her Story takes Center Stage
May 12 & 13
13:00 – 19:00
Hôtel Splendid, Palais des Festivals, Cannes
On the sidelines of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, World Woman Foundation invites you to be part of a cinematic revolution—bold, disruptive, and unapologetically female-led. Because the next-gen film industry isn’t just diverse—it’s dynamic, daring, and unstoppable. This is not just a gathering. It’s a global movement where storytelling meets social impact, and women take the lead in redefining the future of film, culture, and power.
Invite only. Registration required.
SPEAKERS
Guneet Monga Kapoor – Founder, WIF India
Juliet Ibrahim – President WIFT Ghana
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
Building the Infrastructure: The Future of African Film & TV
May 13, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
WIFT Africa Presents: The Docubox Takeover: African Stories in Motion
May 13
16:00 – 18:00
Booth at the Marche, Palais – 1 18.06
From Nairobi to Cannes, The Docubox Takeover brings East Africa’s independent documentary movement into the Marché du Film. For over a decade, Docubox has supported filmmakers through grants, screenings, labs, conversations, and community. The organization continues to nurture courageous cinematic voices exploring identity, memory, power, intimacy, and social change across the continent. The takeover offers a glimpse into the people, films, and creative ecosystems shaping the future of East African cinema, and into a generation of storytellers bringing more nuanced and expansive African stories to screens around the world.
Producers Network x impACT | WIFT Africa Breakfast
May 14, 2026
9:00 – 10:30
Producer’s Club
Women in Film Africa (@wiftafrica) in partnership with WIF LA will host our Producers Network Breakfast Meeting to present five of their most promising producers and their latest works!
Producers Network Badge & Pass holders only.
SPEAKERS
Alexandra Amon – Ziv Productions & Story 7 Productions
Shirley Frimpong-Manso – Sparrow Studios
Nicolette Ndigwe-Kalu – HB&Q Impressions Studio
Bongiwe Selane – Blingola Media
Beatrice Wangondu – The Bea Company
Introducing WIFT Senegal & WIFT Cameroon: Francophone Africa
May 14, 2026
11:00 – 14:00
Booth at the Marche, Palais – 1 18.06
WIFT Senegal & WIFT Cameroon take over the WIFT Africa booth as their home base at the Marché. The booth is open for introductions, and informal connection with market attendees — welcoming producers, financiers, and industry executives with ties or interest in Cameroon, Senegal and the broader Francophone Africa region. Drop in, connect, and do business.
Marché badge required.
impACT | Producing the Future: Innovative Financing Models for African Cinema
May 14, 2026
15:30 – 16:30
Producer’s Club
The session explores the organization and dynamics of Africa’s film financing landscape. It opens with a first look at WIF’s Content Analysis Framework and Ecosystem Mapping in Nigeria and Kenya, offering a snapshot of the evolving infrastructure. A panel featuring leaders from DocuBox, Afreximbank, and the Great Lakes Creative Producers Lab then brings the data to life — examining innovative models from public-private partnerships to impact-driven funding, and equipping international producers with practical strategies for meaningful engagement and collaboration on the continent.
Producers Network badge & pass holders only.
SPEAKERS
Osahon Akpata – Chief Executive Officer, CANEX Creations
Susan Mbogo – Executive Director, Docubox
Cecilia ‘CC’ W’emedi – Senior Project Manager, Women In Film, Los Angeles
Andria Wilson Mirza – Director, International Programs, Women in Film, Los Angeles
Samuel Tebandeke – Producer, Kiasi (Moderator)
Producers Network | Financing African Film for Impact: Muganga Case Study
May 14, 2026
17:30 – 19:00
Producer’s Club
This case study followed by cocktail, explores practical approaches to financing African film through a real-world case study. Using Muganga, CANEX Creations, Inc. will outline its investment process, structuring considerations, and collaboration with partners, while sharing early outcomes and lessons for investors and producers navigating global markets.
Producers Network Badge & Pass holders only.
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
Show Me the Money: Financing & VC for Women-Led Film & TV
Friday, May 15, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
WIFTI Coffee Social
Friday, May 15, 2026
11:30 – 13:00 PM
Location to be announced.
Enjoy coffee, croissants, and great conversation with WIFTI members from chapters around the world.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Introducing FWIFT Nigeria & WIFT Ghana: West Africa
Friday, May 15, 2026
12:00 – 15:00
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
FWIFT Nigeria & WIFT Ghana takes over the WIFT Africa booth as their home base at the Marché. The booth is open for introductions, and informal connection with market attendees — welcoming producers, financiers, and industry executives with ties or interest in Nigeria, Ghana and the broader West Africa region. Drop in, connect, and do business.
Marché badge required.
Africa Creative Market Cocktail Reception @ AfroCannes
Friday, May 15, 2026
17:45 – 19:45
Villa Pompadour: 95, avenue du Petit Jouas
Join Africa Creative Market, WIFT Africa, and Creative Industries Business Summit Zambia for an evening of celebration. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
The Power of Place
2025 WIF Fellow Claire Brooks’ (Executive Director of the AFCI)
May 15 & 16, 2026
Main Stage (Riviera) & The Viewpoint (Lérins)
Presented by AFCI (Association of Film Commissioners International), The Power of Place brings together global producers, film commissioners, and policymakers for a curated series of conversations exploring how location, policy, and infrastructure shape the future of filmmaking. LEARN MORE.
Marché badge required.
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
Across Borders: Women Leading Global Entertainment in Partnership with Box Office Guru Media
Saturday, May 16, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
Producing Under Pressure: Producer Care and Sustainable Practice
Saturday, May 16, 2026
11:30 – 12:30
Palais Stage – 1
A presentation of the 2026 EAVE Impact Think Tank report, bringing together practical tools and new perspectives to help producers strengthen well-being across personal life, family life, and work life, while rethinking how the wider screen sector can better support the mental health of independent producers.
Marché badge required.
SPEAKERS:
Heejung Oh, Seesaw Pictures, KR
Rebecca Day, Film in Mind, UK
Linda Mutawi, Fikra, SE
Steven Malamud Rubinstein, GROM Productions, NL
Tamara Dawit, Gobez Media, CA/ET (Moderator)
Introducing WIFT South Africa & Zambia: Southern Africa
Saturday, May 16, 2026
12:00 – 14:00
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
WIFT South Africa takes over the WIFT Africa booth as their home base at the Marché. The space is open for private meetings, introductions, and informal connection with market attendees — welcoming producers, financiers, and industry executives with ties or interest in Zambia, South Africa and the broader Southern Africa region. Drop in, connect, and do business.
Marché badge required.
Women In Cinema – Ownership, Influence & Global Narratives
Saturday, May 16, 2026
11:15 – 12:00
108, Village International Riviera, Bharat Pavilion
As women increasingly shape the creative and strategic directions of cinema, questions of ownership and influence have moved to the forefront. This session brings together voices across the industry to explore how narratives are being authored, positioned, and carried across global audiences. It reflects on shifting power structures, evolving representation, and the growing role of women in defining contemporary screen culture.
Marché badge required.
SPEAKERS:
Faith Elizabeth — CEO & Founder of Yes She Cannes, Director/Producer of Faithful Films
Sapna Moti Bhavnani — Filmmaker & Founder, Wench Film Festival
Guneet Monga Kapoor — CEO & Producer, Sikhya Entertainment, Founder of WIF India
Andria Wilson Mirza — Director International Programs, WIF Los Angeles
Goes to Cannes | Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF)
Saturday, May 16, 2026
12:00 – 13:50pm
Palais K Screening Room
AFRIFF Goes to Cannes presents a selection of work-in-progress films looking for sales, festival programmers and co-producers to cover the final gap.
Marché badge required.
WIF India & Product Of Culture: BUILDERS OF CULTURE & CINEMA MIXER
In partnership with WIF LA
Saturday, May 16, 2026
15:00 – 17:00
We look forward to creating an afternoon of refreshments and gathering a curated group of independent, international, and culturally fluent leaders shaping the future of film across storytelling, distribution, and global collaboration.
Invite only.
Authenticity in Cross-Cultural Collaborations
Building Meaningful Global Films Without Losing Cultural Truth (A Masterclass & Panel)
Saturday, May 16, 2026
16:40- 17:45
Villa Pompadour – 95, avenue du Petit Jouas
As international film collaborations accelerate across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, creators are increasingly faced with a critical question: how do we collaborate globally without diluting cultural specificity? This masterclass examines the creative, ethical, and practical dimensions of cross-cultural filmmaking, focusing on how to preserve authenticity while building commercially viable international projects. Led through real-world case studies and industry insights, the session unpacks how filmmakers, producers, and writers can navigate cultural nuance, avoid tokenism, and ensure that collaboration becomes a space of mutual respect rather than creative extraction. It also explores how authentic storytelling can strengthen—not limit—global market appeal when handled with intention and precision. REGISTRATION REQUIRED.
Masterclass Host: Tera Carissa Hodges, Entrepreneur, Storyteller, USA
Expert: Cecilia ‘CC’ W’Emedi, Senior Project Manager, International Programs, Women in Film, Los Angeles, USA + DRC
SPEAKERS:
Bea Wangondu — Director & Producer, The Bea Company – Kenya
Chiderah Uzowulu — Writer, Producer & Actor, Sabi Productions – Nigeria / Los Angeles
Vuyelwa Mpakanyiswa — Managing Director, Lemuel Management – South Africa
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast:
Programs Across Africa, Los Angeles & Global South
Sunday, May 17, 2026
9:00-11:45
Booth at the Marche, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees acrosss all WIFTI, WIFT Africa, and WIF chapters. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
Discovering Bessie Coleman
Sunday, May 17, 2026
18:30 – 20:00
AfroNova Pavillion
An inspiring documentary explores how Bessie Coleman’s groundbreaking legacy continues to motivate family members, aviation professionals, and public figures who discovered in her story a lasting model of courage and possibility. Learn more.
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
Access & Transparency: Building an Ecosystem of Support for Filmmakers in partnership with ISF
Monday, May 18, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
Producing Together
In partnership with Canal+
Monday, May 18, 2026
10:30 – 12:00
AfroNova Pavilion
Explore the co-production architectures: multi-territorial financing, dynamics of production aid, and integration of eco-friendly practices. Following the panel, stay for a 30 minute presentation: Canal+ in Africa -– Vision & engagement by Grace Loubassou. Learn more.
SPEAKERS:
The Atlas Workshops
Hedi Zardi, La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institut Français
Émilie Mao Essadi, Film Fund Luxembourg
Sami Tlili Canal+, Houda El Amri / Laurent Sicouri
Maklor Babutulua (Moderator)
Expanding the Frame: New Frontiers for Public Interest Storytelling
Presented by Curiosity Capital, Lighthouse Reports and Think-Film Impact Production
Monday, May 18, 2026
15:00 – 16:00
Plages des Palmes
The media landscape is shifting, reshaping what gets seen. Films tackling complex, socially
relevant issues face barriers, not from a lack of demand, but from changing political and
industry dynamics. This panel brings together filmmakers, journalists and platforms building new models for storytelling. What’s working now and how can we expand possibilities for stories that matter?
Marché badge required.
SPEAKERS:
Felipe Estefan, Curiosity Capital CEO
Tessa Pang, Impact Editor at Lighthouse Reports
Daniel Bekerman – Producer behind the film The Apprentice
Taylor K. Shaw – Head of Film at Kickstarter
Andria Wilson Mirza – Director of International Programs, WIF, Los Angeles (Moderator)
ISF x WIF in association of Box Office Guru Presents: Pitch & Networking Session
Monday, May 18, 2026
16:00 – 18:00
La Muse Restaurant – 10 Bd. Jean Hibert
More details coming soon.
Registration required.
More Than Content – Building Audiences for African Stories
Monday, May 18, 2026
16:30-18:00
AfroNova Pavilion
The role of broadcasters, exhibitors and distributors in driving visibility. Learn more.
SPEAKERS:
Isabelle Degeorges, President, Gaumont Télévision (TBC)
Marianne, France TV Distribution
Aka Nancy, General Manager, Majestic
Christelle Galou-Théophile, Managing Director, Cinestar
David Obadia, General Delegate, AFCAE
Franciane Abassan, Producer & Sales Agent
Alain Modot, CEO Diffa (Moderator)
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
Creative Solutions: Moving Beyond Narratives of Scarcity
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
Reimagining Global Pathways and Financing for South Asian Stories | Presented by Tasveer
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
12:00 – 13:00
Main Stage (Riviera) & Online
Presented by Tasveer, this panel explores how global pathways for South Asian stories are being reimagined through new models of international collaboration, financing, and emerging AI technology. Through the growing global ecosystem around South Asian cinema, the conversation will examine how cross-border partnerships, market access, and AI-enabled tools can help unlock opportunity from development to distribution. The panel will highlight practical strategies, industry insights, and future-facing approaches that can strengthen the visibility, sustainability, and global reach of South Asian storytelling.
Marché badge required.
SPEAKERS:
Anjana Gopakumar – Co-Founder and Executive Director, South Stack Studios
Vineeta Mishra – Head of Programming, National Film Development Corporation
Guneet Monga Kapoor – CEO & Producer, Sikhya Entertainment, Founder of WIF India
Sikhya Entertainment, WIF India
Arathi Sethumadhavan – User Research Scientist, Google
Rita Meher – Co-Founder and Executive Director, Tasveer (Moderator)
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
12:00 – 15:00
World Bank Booth Takeover
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
Join us for a booth takeover led by World Bank Group – Edutainment Team.
Marché badge required.
African American Women in Cinema Presents: The Politics of Black Women in Film
Hosted by Terra Renee
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
16:30 – 18:30
AfroNova Pavilion
A dynamic and timely panel discussion to be held at the Pavillon Afronova during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. This program centers the voices, artistry, and leadership of Black women whose work is shaping global cinema. Following the panel, a VIP Reception will provide an intimate setting for networking, relationship-building, and collaboration among filmmakers, producers, executives, creatives, and cultural influencers from around the world. Learn more.
SPEAKERS:
Dr. A’Cire Newby
Lamonia Brown
Princess Hairston (Moderator)
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
9:00 – 11:45
WIFT Africa’s Global South Networking Breakfast
What We Built: Reflection, Data & the Road Ahead
Booth at the Marché, Palais – 1 18.06
A networking session to introduce attendees to WIFT Africa, present the WIFT Africa booth as a premier space for gathering across Global South attendees at the Marche. Light bites and refreshments provided to encourage connection.
Marché badge required.
