The Yarha film festival, which is an international platform for promoting cinematographic works, closed in Cameroon, with new ambassadors of culture for the year 2025. Among the many people rewarded are, Salam Zampaligre who received the prize for best documentary film with his documentary entitled “the taxi, the cinema and me”, Achraf Ajraoui received the trophy for best short film with “the mermaid gets married”. Closed on January 26, 2025 in Yaoundé, this 11th edition was an opportunity to set objectives for the year 2026.
The 11th edition of the International First Film Festival “Yarha festival” awarded trophies to African and particularly Cameroonian talents who have stood out on the cinema scene, making them ambassadors of culture for the year 2025.
“Really the 11th edition of yarha was a moment rich in lessons, rich in opportunities, but also rich in joie de vivre because it is a celebration of cinema so I can only be grateful and above all say thank you to all those who accompanied us”
Sylvie Nwet, Promotrice du festival Yarha – Cameroun
Among the many people honored are Burkinabe director Salam Zampaligre; who received the prize for best documentary film with his documentary entitled “the taxi, the cinema and me”, a production already awarded in the same category in Cameroon in 2023 at the Ecrans Noirs festival. Achraf Ajraoui received the trophy for best short film with “The Mermaid Gets Married”. Beninese screenwriter Simon Moutaïrou stood out in the “International Feature Film” category by winning the Yarha d’or Best First International Film with the work “Ni Chaînes, Ni Maîtres”. In total, 13 categories were selected for the competition this year.
“We were really pleasantly surprised to see the enthusiasm of the public but also of the participants, young film actors for the intern training on artificial intelligence and also on acting and directing”
Sylvie Nwet, Promotrice du festival Yarha – Cameroun
Promoted by Sylvie Nwet, the 11th Yarha festival was held under the theme: “The future of cinema in Africa in the age of AI”. Remember that the Yarha film festival is an international platform for promoting cinematographic works. The festival closed on a good note, defining the outlook for the 2026 edition.
