Luanda, May 12, 2026 (Lusa) – Angola’s filmmakers have announced their participation in the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, as they seek opportunities to place Angolan cinema on the international distribution circuit, while lamenting the lack of institutional support.
Directors Mawete Paciência, Malef and Kayaya Júnior are representing Angola at this festival, which begins on Tuesday in France, said the filmmaker Kayaya Júnior, who has been in France since Sunday, holding meetings with two distributors on Monday.
"And tomorrow [Tuesday] we will continue our research, our work to see if we can also get Angolan cinema onto the international distribution circuit, and that is our objective here at this festival," he said.
Speaking to Lusa on Monday, the actor and television presenter also highlighted the openness and interest of distributors in discovering new content, believing that Angola may, in the coming years, find a platform to showcase its film production.
"People are very friendly and open to discovering new things, and that is our aim: to pave the way here so that, perhaps in 2027, we might be better represented with a screening area where we can sell our film products and our audiovisual content. That is the purpose of our visit," he said.
Additionally, Kayaya said that, in recent years, Angola has produced almost six films annually, which justifies their presence at international festivals such as Cannes.
He lamented the lack of institutional support that would allow the Portuguese-speaking African country to participate in international film markets, saying that Angola’s participation in Cannes 2026 is entirely self-funded.
“Unfortunately, we do not yet have the institutional support that would allow us to be in these markets; we are here at our own expense, with private backing, but there is a need, and I believe this should be the current aim of our tourism bodies: to invest, believe in this, and to be here with a greater presence,” he said.
He also praised the quality of the films produced in Angola: “It means that production is ongoing, but we simply haven’t had the opportunity to showcase them, and that is why we are here, to open doors (…), so that Angola can also have its flag flying at the Cannes Film Festival to raise awareness of what is being achieved in the audiovisual sector,” Kayaya said.
The 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the largest and most influential film event in Europe and the world, takes place between 12 and 23 May in France.
The event brings together filmmakers, producers and actors from all over the world annually for film screenings, debates and opportunities for co-production and international distribution.
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