Born in Burkina Faso, Gaston Kaboré graduated from the ESEC school (École supérieure d’études cinématographiques) in Paris.
His first feature film, Wend Kuuni (1983) was a breakthrough for African cinema, translating African oral tradition to the screen.
His film Buud Yam (1997) was the 1997 grand-prize winner of the FESPACO.
He has been a member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, and the Berlin International Festival.
