Proud to open the festival with Justin Kurzel's The Order, a crime thriller about the White-Supremacist Cult of the 1980s.

And excited to introduce the 14 filmmakers in competition whose films explore a wide range of cinematic genres, from melodrama and documentary to futuristic storytelling and romantic comedy. They have moved us by the humanist look they take at climate change, unspoken elements of the family unit, domestic violence, war or injustice, captivated us by the cinematic plunge they offer into the history of their country, and charmed us by the poetic and luminous way they portray youths searching for their voices.

Also very glad to present the world premieres of Franz Fanon' biopic by Jean-Claude Barny and the new film by Simone Bitton as well as new restorations of Nationality: Immigrant by Sidney Sokhona, The Beautiful Days of Sheherazade by Mostafa Derkaoui and The Camp at Thiaroye that will be screened to mark the 80th anniversary of the tragic massacre it depicts.