Congolese Film *Rumba Royale* Selected for Montreal Festival

Congolese cinema is heading to Montreal as Rumba Royale earns a place at the 2026 Montreal International Black Film Festival.

According to the Congolese Press Agency, the production team announced the selection on August 3, describing it as an important step for the international visibility of films made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The film’s official project page also lists Rumba Royale as an official selection and Québec premiere at the Montreal festival. The event’s 22nd edition will take place in person and online from September 23 to 27, 2026.

For the artists, technicians and partners behind the production, the moment carries a message larger than one film: stories created in Kinshasa can travel, connect with international audiences and claim space on major cultural platforms.

A Congolese story made in Kinshasa

Rumba Royale is a 97-minute historical thriller set in Léopoldville, now Kinshasa, in 1959 as the country moved closer to independence.

The story follows Daniel, a young photographer who documents the energy of the Rumba Royale nightclub. His romance with Olive, a waitress who dreams of becoming a midwife, unfolds amid music, political tension and the changing social atmosphere of a city approaching a defining moment in its history.

When Daniel is accused of murder following a disappearance, the film turns into a search for truth and justice against the rhythm of a capital preparing for change.

The production was filmed entirely in Kinshasa with a Congolese technical team. It was co-directed by Congolese filmmaker Yohane Dean Lengol and Belgian-Iranian filmmaker Hamed Mobasser.

Fally Ipupa plays Daniel in his first major film role, alongside Mélanie Bokata as Olive. The cast also includes Cécile Djunga, Patrick Kabundi, Hénoc Kiyombo and Olivier Loustau.