Cameroonian actress, Stephanie Tum has had it with Ecrans Noirs Film Festival and it’s alleged discrimination on Anglophone filmmakers in Cameroon. She says it should be boycotted!

The very vocal movie beauty has admitted that the famous annual African film festival is overrated and has continuously disregarded the power and presence of English-speaking actors. However, some English-speaking films have been nominated and won awards at the same festival in the last few years.

Stephanie Tum took to her Facebook account, July 12 to make it clear to her fans and anyone who cared to read that left to her, the festival, which celebrates African film and arts, should have no Anglophone filmmakers attending.

Although the actress didn’t mention the reason why she’s calling for the sudden boycott, fans demanded that she revealed her reasons. After so many ‘why’ questions, Tum posted this explanation:

“The question is why do you show up to support a festival that the current government has clearly showed is the only recognised festival in Cameroon because it is a Francophone festival.
The only Anglophone festival in Cameroon has continually been underlined by this same government.
When Anglophone film makers come to this comment section and ask “WHY??” I mean who are you kidding??? Please don’t act like Francophones who are claiming don’t know what is happening in the Anglophone zone but it’s as clear as the hand writing on the wall. Let’s not always try to be politically correct and call a spade a spade.”

Ecrans Noirs is an African film festival, founded in 1997 by director Bassek Ba Kobhio, It’s held every June in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Organized by the association “Black Screens”, it aims to disseminate cinematographic creations of six countries in Central Africa (Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Chad).

The festival is also intended as a space of reflection on the cinema and organizes colloquiums, bringing together professionals, who debate on topics concerning the conditions of exercise and the evolution of this art on the African continent.