Building imaginary futures for Africa
Image is a weapon of mass construction. In the cultural events industry, it is the primary lever of Soft Power. Serge Noukoué, founder of the Nollywood Week festival, understood this early on. For this Parisian by birth, who grew up with one foot on the continent, the gap between African realities and their perception in the West was an anomaly that had to be corrected.
A hybrid journey from finance to 7th art
Serge Noukoué’s background is not that of an heir to the film world. It’s that of a pragmatic entrepreneur who cut his teeth in traditional sectors before turning to his vocation.
“I had to follow a hybrid path. I worked as a salaried employee while developing the festival. It’s not easy when you don’t come from a family steeped in entrepreneurship”
Today, he defines himself as a full-time cultural entrepreneur. But beyond the festival, Serge has structured a veritable value chain: audiovisual distribution (selling films to channels and platforms), feature film production and talent management (coaching actors and directors).
Nollywood, a philosophical revolution
The choice of the name “Nollywood” for its Paris festival is not insignificant. More than a geographical reference to Nigeria, it’s a tribute to a cultural revolution.
For a long time, African cinema, particularly in the French-speaking world, was dependent on outside funding and scrutiny, sometimes producing elitist works out of step with the aspirations of local audiences. Nollywood has turned the tables, offering films made by Africans, for Africans, with their own economic viability.
This philosophy of “representativeness” is at the heart of Nollywood Week. The festival is conceived as a window into love stories, comedies and stories of ordinary life, far from the clichés of social drama or misery.
The festival as a showcase for the ecosystem
For its 13th edition (May 2026), the festival takes up residence at the L’Arlequin cinema in Paris with ambitions intact. For five days, audiences are invited to immerse themselves in the world of cinema.
Highlights of the 2026 edition:
- Official Competition: Feature-length films and shorts voted on by the public and a jury of experts.
- Soft Power through Technology: A crucial panel on Artificial Intelligence in Africa, with expert Malik Afegbua, to discuss the “decolonization of AI” and the representativeness of non-European faces in algorithms.
- Masterclasses and Talent: The presence of Thomas Ngijol as godfather of this edition, who will present his film “Indomptable” and discuss his personal journey.
- New formats: An exploration of “micro-dramas”, the vertical formats that are soaring on mobile and redefining image consumption.
Funding, the lifeblood of the cultural war
Despite thirteen successful editions, Serge Noukoué makes no secret of the continuing challenges. While the CCI sector generates billions of dollars worldwide, it remains the “poor relation” of investment in Africa compared to agriculture or Fintech.
“If there are investors or patrons among your listeners, you need to reach into your pocket. New narratives aren’t built by magic; they require engineering and expertise that is paid for at its fair value.”
African soft power, driven by Afrobeat, Amapiano and now cinema, proves that there is a massive market. For Serge, the challenge now is to make African content commonplace in prime time on major international channels.
A mission to share
Serge Noukoué likes to compare himself to a DJ: one who selects the best tracks to share with the crowd. His festival is the turntable where the images of an Africa that no longer needs permission to exist on screens the world over spin.
Whether romantic comedies filmed in Zanzibar (such as his production “Married to Work”) or urban narratives in Lagos, the aim remains the same: to cultivate pride and offer audiences mirrors in which they can finally recognize themselves.
Practical information
The 13th edition of Nollywood Week will be held from May 6 to 10, 2026 at the cinema L’Arlequin, Paris.
