'Timbuktu' upset at Africa's biggest film festival amid fears of Islamist backlash

“Fievres”, a film by Moroccan director Hicham Ayouch, has won the top prize at this year’s FESPACO film festival in Burkina Faso, beating competition that included the Oscar-nominated “Timbuktu”. “Fievres” was a surprise winner because not many of those attending the festival had seen it. The favourite to win, “Timbuktu”, was almost withdrawn from the festival over fears it might lead to the event being targeted by Islamist groups operating in the region. That decision was later reversed.

FESPACO is a platform for everyone to come and express themselves democratically and freely. Consequently, there was no way we could not show a film that was apparently threatened by terrorism.

Burkina Faso’s interim president, Michel Kafando

The northern Malian desert town of Timbuktu was seized by Islamists in June 2012. ”Timbuktu”, the film, missed out on an Oscar but had earlier won a string of other international awards, including two at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and seven at the Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent of the Oscars.

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