Ouaga Stories Residency

Ouaga Stories Residency is at the heart of the new initiative. It will host four (04) writers or filmmakers selected from among the Lab’s projects for an eight (08)-week residency in Ouagadougou. Selection will be based on the artistic maturity of the projects, the coherence of the filmmaker’s vision, and the production potential, with particular attention paid to narrative diversity and gender parity.

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Residents receive intensive support that combines:

– artistic and narrative mentoring;
– group and individual rewriting sessions;
– training on funding and production strategy;
– personalized support tailored to each project.

Storytellers, griots, and artists from other disciplines enrich the process, fostering the exploration of African and contemporary narrative forms. This collaborative framework aims to improve participants’ skills and significantly advance their projects and screenplays.

Additional specialized training sessions will be organized, particularly on film financing and existing resources (public funding programs, platforms, private financing, etc.), with the aim of developing a realistic and coherent financing plan tailored to each project.

Participants will also receive information and resources regarding the entire production chain, existing additional residency programs, film distribution and promotion, as well as dedicated festivals and markets.

LOne of the key objectives of the residency is to enable selected filmmakers to immerse themselves in the practical aspects of creating and managing cultural events, particularly those related to cinema in all its forms. Project leaders will participate in film screenings with the African Film Archive in Ouagadougou, thereby fostering the discovery or rediscovery of seminal works and fueling artistic reflection in connection with their own projects.

In addition, participants will have the opportunity to visit film sets and temporarily join national production teams to gain firsthand experience of the industry and interact directly with seasoned professionals.

The program concludes with public readings and pitch sessions, which serve as valuable stepping stones to production and international markets.