On the culture of the three continents

Festival

In Milan since 1991 the only appointment with the best of cinema from and about Africa, Asia and Latin America from the most prestigious international festivals. With the Festival of African, Asian and Latin American Cinema – FESCAAAL, Milan opens up to the world for a week of films, special events, meetings with authors, debates and exhibitions to explore and meet the cultures of the 3 continents.

The FESCAAAL is currently the only festival in Italy – and one of only three in Europe – dedicated to an in-depth examination of the cinema, realities and cultures of Africa, Asia and Latin America: a concrete and original alternative to the information dynamics of the mass media and a historic appointment for cinema enthusiasts. FESCAAAL is organized and promoted by Associazione COE.

In Milan since 1991

The history

The Milan African Film Festival was founded in 1991 as an opportunity to meet and learn about the themes and languages of new African cinema and the African diaspora around the world. The Festival was conceived, and is organized and promoted by Associazione COE, an NGO with over 50 years of history in international cooperation with a focus on education through the arts, under the artistic direction of Annamaria Gallone and Alessandra Speciale.

Since its first edition, the Festival has hosted the greatest African filmmakers of all time, such as Idrissa Ouédraogo, Sembène Ousmane, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Nouri Bouzid and Raoul Peck, and has watched directors such as Abderrahamane Sissako, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun and Alain Gomis grow from their first short films.

From the passion of Don Pedretti

Associazione COE

Born in the late 1950s out of the educational passion of Don Francesco Pedretti – an Ambrosian priest -, the COE works to develop a culture of dialogue and solidarity.

In Italy, it promotes Global Citizenship Education projects and interventions.It has been organising the African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival in Milan since 1991 and promotes films, music, exhibitions and performances by authors and artists from the three continents; it is involved in activities promoting national and international voluntary work and welcomes young people from the Civil Service in Italy and abroad (18-29 years old).

The association supports projects in Cameroon, D.R. Congo, Zambia and then Chile, Japan, Ecuador, Guatemala, Papua New in the fields of education, training, health, culture, development of local natural resources, agriculture and food security.