Created in 2018 as a continuation of the eponymous webzine Le Film Camerounais, the LFC Awards celebrate the talents and achievements of Cameroonian—and more broadly, African—cinema each year. Its founder, screenwriter and director Françoise Ellong-Gomez, designed the event with the aim of promoting local creativity while establishing a strong connection with an audience in search of authenticity.
Scheduled for November 28, 2025, the eighth edition is already in the works, with the opening of submissions and the announcement of an ambitious program that promises to leave a lasting impression.
An Awards List Seeking Authenticity
The official launch of this new edition took place on June 2, with a call for submissions now available on the event’s website. Submissions are open until August 3.
Cameroonian cinema lies at the heart of the event, with awards dedicated to local talents across many categories, covering both short and feature films. The LFC Awards aim to highlight the rise of the seventh art in Cameroon. According to Françoise Ellong-Gomez, the structural challenges facing the industry—funding, lack of theaters, absence of proper frameworks—far from discouraging filmmakers, actually fuel a rich and abundant creativity. An authentic, visceral cinema—often tinged with humor even in the most serious stories—is emerging, driven by a new generation of talents such as Frank Thierry Lea Malle, Stéphanie Tum, Syndy Emade, Emy Dany Bassong, and Blaise Ntedju, also known as Option.
Since 2022, an international selection has also honored productions from across the African continent, the diaspora, the Caribbean, and the Indian Ocean. This expansion aims to promote the diversity of African talent and create bridges between Cameroonian and international creators.
The public plays a central role in the LFC Awards, as they are invited to vote for certain winners. Notably, only works that have already reached an audience are eligible for an award—an approach that values productions that have succeeded in creating a connection with viewers.
Children in the Spotlight for the 2025 Edition
Staying true to its goal of innovating every year, the LFC Awards will dedicate the 2025 edition entirely to younger generations, particularly children aged 5 to 12. “Education through and about visual media is a fundamental issue, too often overlooked by African filmmakers,” explains Françoise Ellong-Gomez. “Children need on-screen representation to build their identities in a changing world. African cinema must offer them stories they can relate to, much like the remarkable work of Claye Edou in animation.”
Children’s cinema will thus be at the heart of the programming. Joint Master Classes will be held on themes such as Children’s Cinema and Voice Dubbing. Workshops are also planned on screenwriting (Writing for Children) and costume design (African Wonder). Finally, the open-air traveling screenings in various neighborhoods of Douala—Les Escales Ciné de Douala, launched last year—will return with programming specially designed for young audiences.
The program promises to be even richer thanks to an unprecedented partnership with Zebra Comics, a young and fast-growing Cameroonian publishing house specializing in African comics. The children’s cinema workshop will be held on their premises. In the longer term, LFC and Zebra—united by their shared commitment to promoting local creativity and providing children with relatable role models—are counting on their synergy to support the development of an African youth cinema.
