Ghanaian Filmmakers Pitch at Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is one of the world’s leading platforms for short cinema, bringing together filmmakers, producers, and distributors from across the industry. In February 2026, two Ghanaian filmmakers arrived with projects in development, selected to pitch as part of the festival’s Talent Connexion program.
Esiawonam Adisenu and Joewackle J. Kusi were the winners of the Talent Connect pitch contest hosted by Accra Indie FilmFest in 2025. With support from Creation Africa Ghana, they attended the festival and presented their films during the Talent Connexion session, an industry platform connecting emerging filmmakers with international partners.
Adisenu, a writer and producer, pitched Fine Flowers for Veronica. Kusi, a storyteller working across film, audio, and theater, presented No Brother for Lagos. Both projects were introduced to an international audience of producers, collaborators, and decision-makers engaged in development and co-production.
Fine Flowers for Veronica follows a woman who continues a ritual for her children years after their deaths, holding onto the belief that they might return.
No Brother for Lagos traces a journey between a former Highlife musician and a widow, unfolding as an encounter shaped by memory, music, and chance.
For Adisenu, the opportunity extended beyond a single project.
“It was a big opportunity to tell people about where I come from — Ghana, and the Ghanaian film industry,” she said. “One of our biggest challenges is financing, and I wanted to also sell the industry in a way that makes it unique and compelling.”
Kusi described the experience as affirming.
“Festivals are one of the places where I feel affirmed, because thousands of people send submissions from all over the world, and being one of those pitching my story was an affirming moment for me. It made me believe that Ghana shouldn’t be a boundary, and that wherever you’re from, your story is really for the world.”
Their participation at Clermont-Ferrand traces back to the Talent Connect pitch contest in Accra, where they were selected from a cohort of emerging filmmakers. Creation Africa Ghana’s support extended that process beyond the local stage, placing their projects within an international forum where they could be developed further.
A pitch in Accra. A stage in Clermont-Ferrand. Two filmmakers carrying Ghanaian stories into rooms where those stories can move forward.