Three nights, two cinematic cultures and zero reason to stay home. France × Botswana Film Days 2026 brings award-winning French cinema, animation and Botswana’s filmmakers to one screen during Independence Month.
GAZETTE REPORTER
Forget the usual diplomatic handshake. This September, France and Botswana are talking cinema and the conversation comes with popcorn.
From 23 to 25 September, Alliance Française de Gaborone will turn its screen into a three-night meeting point for French cinema and Botswana’s creative voices, marking 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries while Botswana celebrates its Independence Month.
FROM CANNES TO GABORONE
The festival opens Wednesday with Vingt Dieux (Holy Cow), the French coming-of-age drama that picked up the César Awards for Best First Feature and Best Female Newcomer, alongside the Youth Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Doors open at 5:30pm, with a welcome drink before an address by the French Ambassador. The film rolls at 6:30pm. Entry is free.
Thursday changes the mood and the age bracket. Family Night brings Le Pharaon, le Sauvage et la Princesse, an animated adventure from acclaimed French director Michel Ocelot, recommended for audiences aged six and up.
THEN BOTSWANA TAKES THE MIC
Friday belongs to local filmmakers.
Five Botswana short films will close the festival, with their directors presenting the work and facing an audience Q&A afterwards. At P20 a ticket, it is the only paid night of the festival and arguably the one with the most local stakes.
The programming makes the festival more than a showcase of imported French cinema. It creates a back-and-forth: France brings its cinematic heavyweights, while Botswana’s emerging filmmakers get the final word.
That exchange is fitting for a 60-year diplomatic relationship. After six decades of formal ties, these three evenings ask a more interesting question: what happens when two countries stop talking about culture and start watching it together?
Bring the appetite for films. Popcorn and drinks will be available to buy throughout the festival.