Jean-Marie Teno

Jean-Marie Teno (born 14 May 1954) is a Cameroonian film director and filmmaker, "one of Africa's most prolific filmmakers". His films address censorship, human rights violations, globalization, and the effects of colonialism. Teno has made films in many different forms but favors making documentaries. In an interview when asked about his favor style of film to make he responded, "documentary because when you do fiction, people think it's not true. When it's the documentary, they are embarrassed, embarrassed".

Life Teno was born in 1954 in Famleng in Bandjoun.

Jean-Marie Teno is also a producer of his own films with Les Films du Raphia. In 2007-2008, he was a Visiting Artist at Copeland Fellow at Amherst College, and in 2009-2010 he was Visiting Professor at Hampshire College, Massachusetts. Teno received much appreciation throughout his career for telling African history from an African perspective. In part due the success of directors like Teno, more universities began offering African film studies classes and looking at alternative perspectives of history.

Awards Clando 1996: Prize of the International Federation of Film Crews at the Friborg International Film Festival (Switzerland); Audience Award at the Milan African Film Festival (Italy); Grand Prize at the Vues d'Afrique Festival of Montreal; Human Rights Award at Montreal's Vues d'Afrique Festival

Head in the clouds 1994: OAU Jury Prize at the Carthage Film Days 1995: IUCN Prize and African Insurers Award at FESPACO; Documentary Award at the Festival Vues d'Afrique de Montréal

Africa, I'll pluck you ... 1992: Documentary Award at the Troia Festival; OCIC Jury Prize at the Carthage Film Days; Prize for Solidarity in the world at Carthage Film Days.

Water of misery 1989: TV5-Europe Prize at Écovision in Lille; Honorable Mention at the Troia Festival (Portugal)

Yellow fever taximan 1986: Special mention at the Clermont-Ferrand Festival