TikTok, a short-form, video-sharing app has announced its partnership with Cannes for the 75th edition of the Cannes film festival held annually in Cannes, France.
The annual festival which was first held in 1946 and recognised for its artistic achievement, is known to provide a rendezvous for those interested in the art and influence of movies. The festival previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. It is the world’s most prestigious and publicised film festival
In a statement, TikTok made known its desire to partner with the festival in order to be part of its mission to inspire artists and creatives who wish to tell their stories in a unique way.
As a lead up to the festival, TikTok has launched the global #TikTokShortFilm competition, which invites Nigerians, content creators, and short-video artists worldwide to share their short-form videos in-app and also stand a chance to win cash prizes from March 16. The prizes include a trip to France for the annual Festival de Cannes set to take place in May later this year.
Related stories: From Nigeria to the world: TikTok celebrates top content creators in Nigeria
Earlier this month, TikTok rolled out the ability for users to create videos for up to ten minutes, giving its community more time to unleash even more creative possibilities around the world. This presents an opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to have a comprehensive part of their work seen by the world as the restriction was initially five minutes per short video.
In a statement, the Content Operations Manager for TikTok Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba explained the desire to have Nigeria’s diversity represented by Nigerians in their submission, acknowledging that Nigerians were a creative powerhouse in Africa, with an authentic culture that gives the country its originality.
TikTok’s community in Nigerian is as diverse as the country itself, and it has so many authentic and cultural stories to tell, which is why we would like to encourage local creators to submit their stories to #TikTokShortFilm. Local content creators have been given the opportunity to exhibit their talents to the world through this global initiative with the Cannes Film Festival, which is rarely available. There is a lot of talent in our local community, and we are looking forward to seeing what they have to showcase
Boniswa Sidwaba – Content Operation Manager, TikTok
As part of the competition’s process, the company has released a Jury list which it says fully embodies the incredible cultural, generational and creative richness of the platform, they include:
- Angèle Diabang, Senegalese director and film producer
- Camille Ducellier, French film director
- Basma Khalifa, Sudanese filmmaker and director
- Khaby Lame, Italian TikTok creator
- Rithy Panh, French Cambodian director
For more information, you can view the full article on TikTok Africa’s newsroom: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-africa/tiktok-partners-with-cannes-film-festival.
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