Open Doors at Locarno: Spotlight on African Filmmakers and Producers
The Locarno Film Festival's co-production platform and talent development program, Open Doors, has announced the projects, producers, and directors for its 24th edition, focusing on the African continent. The program, part of Locarno Pro from August 5-10, is dedicated to 42 African countries over a four-year cycle. This year's selection includes six first and second feature projects in development.
One of the projects is "Too Much Music," a documentary about Ghanaian keyboard prodigy Kiki Gyan, directed and produced by Aseye Fiagbe from Ghana. Another project, "Chapa 100," is a collaboration between Mozambique and South Africa, directed by Ique Langa and produced by Lara Sousa. "I Live in V.I," a social satire about urban space and gentrification, is directed by Ugochukwu Azuya from Nigeria and produced by Olubunmi Ogunsola of Ensemble.
From Somalia and Djibouti, Mohammed Sheikh and producer Kadir Harbi Hassan present "Accept My Plea For Burial," a fiction project exploring the tensions between tradition and justice in a rural community. "The Ones With The Tempered Flowers," an experimental documentary about womanhood and motherhood, is a Tanzania-Kenya collaboration directed by Neema Ngelime and produced by Ivy Kiru. Lastly, "A Vineyard for A Lobster," a Ugandan fiction project directed by Talemwa Pius and produced by Gashumba Emmanuel, uses a snow-covered landscape as a metaphor for the enduring shadows of colonialism.
A jury of industry professionals will award financial and in-kind prizes to selected winning projects, including a scholarship for the EAVE Marketing Workshop worth €4,000 from EAVE and the Luxembourg Film Fund. African Film Press (AFP) is also a new award partner this year. Additionally, the Open Doors Producers and Directors programs have selected participants for workshops, talks, and industry networking.
Yanis Gaye, head of studies at Open Doors, emphasized the importance of showcasing the diverse storytelling talent across the African continent. Zsuzsi Bánkuti, Head of Open Doors, highlighted the program's commitment to amplifying female voices in the film industry, both behind the camera and in the producer's chair. The future of cinema, she believes, depends on who gets to make it and how gender parity is lived and supported in the industry.
In conclusion, the 24th edition of Open Doors at the Locarno Film Festival promises to be a platform for emerging African filmmakers and producers to showcase their creative projects and talents, with a focus on diversity and gender parity in the industry. The selected projects offer a glimpse into the rich storytelling traditions and innovative filmmaking approaches emerging from the African continent.