Ouagadougou: Burkinabe director Gaston Kabore was highlighted this Sunday, December 7, 2025, at the official opening of the fourth edition of the Burkinabe Film Week (SEFIB). The public present at the launch of SEFIB 2025 witnessed a ceremony where director Gaston Kabore was honored through speeches and a rather original ceremony.
According to Burkina Information Agency, to celebrate his career, Kabore was dressed in a traditional Faso Danfani loincloth adorned with motifs reminiscent of the trilogy of his iconic films, namely ''Buud Yam'', ''Wend Kuuni'' and ''Zan Boko''. The man who has impacted the film industry in Burkina Faso also received a cane, a certificate, and a trophy in recognition of his contribution to filmmaking and the training of filmmakers.
Born in 1951 in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, Gaston Jean-Marie Kabore is one of only three Burkinabe directors to have won the Golden Stallion of Yennenga at the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO). This accolade was awarded in 1997 for his film "Buud Yam." Kabore is also a screenwriter, producer, and instructor, having founded IMAGINE, an institute for continuing education and professional development in the film industry, in February 2003.
Organized by the National Center for Performing Arts and Audiovisual (CENASA), SEFIB 2025 is scheduled from December 7 to 14 and is themed: "Cinema and Revolution: Awakening Consciences and the Sovereignty of Peoples." The Director General of CENASA, Abraham Ouessena Abassague, outlined the week's events, including film screenings and discussions of socially conscious films.
Also planned is a patriotic evening dedicated to works inspired by the Progressive and Popular Revolution, a special session for schoolchildren with educational screenings and guided discussions, and a retro evening devoted to classic Burkinabe cinema. The Minister of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism (MCCAT), Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo, patron of the opening ceremony, was represented by the Secretary General Betamou Fidele Aymar Tamini.