Introduction to Open Doors
The Open Doors program, a co-production platform and talent development program of the Locarno Film Festival, has announced its 23rd edition, which focuses on the African continent this year. This edition marks the beginning of a new three-year cycle, which previously focused on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Selected Projects
Six projects in development were selected for the co-production platform. These projects showcase a diverse range of genres and styles, including:
- Bilokos, a documentary film about a veteran of the Congolese Army, directed by Erkey Bahati and produced by Giresse Kassonga for Gikas films
- Diary of a goat woman, a documentary film animation hybrid, co-produced between the Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, represented by director Azata Soro and producer NameiTa Lica Toure from Les Studios Indigo
- Happiness, an Ethiopian dark comedy, directed by Habtamu Gebrehiwot and produced by Nahusenay Dereje from MTF Multimedia
- Comes until morning, a Nigerian reincarnation romance, directed by Dika Ofaoma and produced by Blessing Uzz from Bluhouse Studios
- Fighter, a Senegalese family drama, directed by Alassane Sy and produced by Jules Dizeng from Thiel Films
- Black snake, a Zimbabwean supernatural secret, directed by Lord Say and produced by Suena-Ellen Chitout from 263 Reels Productions
Participants in the Open Doors Producers Lab
The career program of the Open Doors Producers Lab has taken six participants, including Kamy Lara from Angola, Moustapha Sawadoga from Burkina Faso, June Wairegi from Kenya, Yannick Mizero Kabana from Rwanda, and Kudakwashe Maradzika from Zimbabwe. These participants will have the opportunity to develop their skills and network with industry professionals.
Awards and Screenings
During the Locarno Film Festival, a jury will grant financial and expert awards to the selected projects. The directors will also take part in the Open Doors Screenings on August 8th. Film experts from 42 countries in Africa were entitled to apply to the Open Doors program, which aims to support filmmakers from regions where artistic expression is endangered.
Quotes from the Heads of Open Doors
Yanis Gaye, the new head of studies at Open Doors, stated, "The foundation of the new cycle of Open Doors is an exciting marker for the role that African film industries will play in the global independent film landscape in the coming years." Zsuzsi Bánkuti, head of Open Doors, added, "We are happy to welcome a strong series of predominantly first and second filmmakers, whose inventive approaches and formal experiments signal a courageous evolution in global cinematic stories."
