For six editions at the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film, Pavillon Afriques established itself as a central meeting place for African and Afro-descendant professionals. The initiative, launched in 2019 by event strategist Karine Barclais, grew into a rare fixture at Cannes, where cinema from Africa and its diasporas was consistently visible.
That chapter is now evolving. The platform has been rebranded as Pavillon Afronova, a name meant to imply both continuity and expansion. “Afro” grounds the project in roots, culture, and pride, while “Nova” points toward new energy and a future-facing vision. The change widens the scope beyond cinema to also include fashion, literature, tourism, gastronomy, and other cultural expressions.
Barclais explained in a direct message to Akoroko this week:
Afro reflects our DNA more accurately and is also clearer for non-African audiences: it’s not just about Africa, but about Afro-descendants around the world. Our audience is growing more diverse, with stronger representation from the Caribbean and North America, and we’re also looking toward Latin America. We’re expanding beyond cinema as well, with our new slogan: The Afro Creative Pulse.
The rebrand comes as the initiative prepares for its seventh edition in 2026—an achievement Barclais describes as an opportunity to “reinvent ourselves while building on what already works.” Communication for the first time will be handled by a professional agency, part of an effort to establish the new identity firmly and broaden its reach.
Since its inception, the platform has operated with limited institutional support but strong emotional resonance. At its inaugural edition, attendees described finally having a home at Cannes. In the years since, the space has hosted tributes, thematic days, co-production sessions, and networking events, while also confronting the financial and logistical barriers that continue to limit African participation at Cannes.
By way of example, the 2025 program began with a tribute to the late Malian trailblazer Souleymane Cissé, who passed away in February. It featured a screening of the documentary “A Daughter’s Tribute to Her Father” and a conversation with his daughter, filmmaker Fatou Cissé, followed by a panel on his legacy. “It’s important to begin with memory,” Barclais said at the time. “Because we’re not just here to talk about strategy and technology—we’re here to acknowledge who made all this possible.” Akoroko was a media partner for that edition, and I moderated the Opening Ceremony discussion, “Celebrating the Legacy of Souleymane Cissé.”
The new phase—Afronova—positions the initiative to consolidate that legacy and extend it to a wider cultural terrain. The mission, Barclais says, is unchanged: connecting talent with opportunity, making culture a driver of development, and placing creative Africa at the center of global conversations.
Next step: a new website will launch on October 6, 2025, as the run-up to Cannes 2026 begins.
Ahead of the May 2025 edition of Pavillon Afriques, I profiled Barclais and the platform in depth. Read the newsletter here.