Ouaga Stories is a true accelerator for African filmmaking. Through immersive training, project development, and creative residencies, the program discovers and propels filmmakers, directors, and producers from across the African continent. It helps them refine their artistic vision, strengthens the narrative power of their films, and equips them with the strategic tools to transform audacious ideas into works ready to shine on screens around the world.

Born from the reimagining of the Ouaga Film Lab—the first film development and co-production lab in Sub-Saharan Africa, launched in 2016—Ouaga Stories opens an ambitious new chapter in the initiative’s history. After eight successful editions and international recognition, the program took a strategic break in 2023 to reinvent itself: to rethink its model, amplify its impact, and better meet the current challenges facing African cinema, while offering creators a space where their boldest ideas can flourish and find their way to the world.

The new initiative is structured around several key, complementary events: the Ouaga Stories Lab, to be held in Ouagadougou from October 24 to 31, 2026, followed by the eight-week immersive Ouaga Stories Residency, as well as Ouaga Stories Producers, launched nationally and set to expand across the entire continent starting next year.
Based in Ouagadougou, the historic capital of African cinema, and in synergy with the country’s major cultural events, Ouaga Stories is establishing itself as a leading platform for the emergence, professionalization, and international reach of African storytelling.