The 2026 edition of Open Doors, the renowned co-production platform and talent development program at the Locarno Film Festival, is set to spotlight African cinema with a diverse range of projects and filmmakers. This year's initiative promises to bring together a bold and varied selection of voices from across the African continent, showcasing a rich tapestry of storytelling. The program will feature six first and second features in development, exploring themes as diverse as music, memory, womanhood, urban life, and the lingering impact of colonialism. Additionally, the Open Doors Producers program will support six producers in building sustainable careers and cross-border networks, while the Open Doors Directors selection will bring together five directors for a series of talks, workshops, and industry networking opportunities. The initiative aims to empower African film ecosystems and their practitioners, encouraging the industry to rethink co-production practices, audience-building strategies, and the economics of cinema. Yanis Gaye, head of studies at Open Doors, emphasizes the program's focus on affirming the richness of storytelling across Africa, with a strong emphasis on supporting artistic voices and creative entrepreneurs dedicated to connecting with their audiences at home, in their diasporas, and internationally. Zsuzsi Bánkuti, head of Open Doors, underscores the importance of amplifying female voices, both behind the camera and in the producer's chair, to achieve gender parity in the industry. The 2026 Open Doors Projects showcase includes a range of intriguing films, such as 'Too Much Music,' a documentary portrait of a Ghanaian keyboard prodigy, 'Chapa 100,' a surrealist love story set in Mozambique and South Africa, 'I Live in V.I.,' a social satire about urban space and gentrification in Nigeria, 'Accept My Plea for Burial,' an exploration of tradition and justice in rural Somalia and Djibouti, 'The Ones With the Tempered Flowers,' an experimental documentary on womanhood and motherhood in Tanzania and Kenya, and 'A Vineyard for A Lobster,' an allegorical film about colonialism in Uganda. The Open Doors Producers program features a diverse group of professionals, including Mamounata Nikiema from Burkina Faso, Natasha Craveiro from Cabo Verde, Adja Mariam Mahre Soro from the Ivory Coast, David Ikeata from Nigeria, Rua Osman from Sudan, and Tapiwa Chipfupa from Zimbabwe. The Open Doors Directors selection includes Fagamou Fama Ndiaye from Senegal, Rediet Haddis Yalew from Ethiopia, Pocas Pascoal from Angola, Judith Nini Kibinge from Kenya, and Ariel Añez from Mozambique. The program will also offer financial and in-kind prizes to winning projects, as well as a scholarship for the EAVE Marketing Workshop and the AFP Critics Prize, presented by African Film Press. This year's edition of Open Doors aims to foster a more inclusive and diverse industry, empowering African filmmakers and producers to create impactful and meaningful cinema.
