Africa

Locarno Open Doors 2026: Full Line-Up

Locarno film festival's Open Doors programme has selected six projects, six producers and five directors for the second year of its Africa Focus.

Staff writers

01 Jun 2026 — 2 min read

Locarno Open Doors 2025

Open Doors, the co-production and talent development programme of Locarno Film Festival, has selected six projects, six producers and five directors for the second year of its four-year Africa Focus.

Scheduled to take place August 5-10, the programme will provide hands-on training, mentoring and networking, alongside public screenings and events, during the Locarno Film Festival (August 5-15) and its industry arm Locarno Pro.

On August 10, a jury of industry professionals will award financial and in-kind prizes to selected winning projects. The prizes include the Open Doors Grant of CHF50,000, sponsored by Visions Sud Est and the City of Bellinzona; the CNC Development Prize of Euros8,000; and the Arte Kino International Prize of Euros6,000.

Additional awards are offered by IFFR Pro; International Culture Center Tabakalera and San Sebastian Film Festival; Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur; Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), and Sørfond.

New this year, professional training organisation EAVE, together with the Luxembourg Film Fund, will offer a scholarship for the EAVE Marketing Workshop worth Euros4,000.

African Film Press (AFP), a cross-regional publishing alliance covering the African film, TV and digital media markets, also joins as an award partner. AFP will present the AFP Critics Prize, comprising a $500 cash award, a certificate and ongoing editorial coverage of the recipient and their future work across AFP's three publications: Akoroko, Sinema Focus and What Kept Me Up.

OPEN DOORS PROJECTS [AFRICA FOCUS] 2026:

Accept My Plea For Burial
Dir: Mohammed Sheikh (Somalia)
Prod: Kadir Harbi Hassan, Aleel Films (Djibouti)

Chapa 100
Dir: Ique Langa (Mozambique)
Prod: Lara Sousa, Kulunga Filmes (Mozambique)

I Live in V.I
Dir: Ugochukwu Azuya (Nigeria)
Prod: Olubunmi Ogunsola, Ensemble (Nigeria)

The Ones With The Tempered Flowers
Dir: Neema Ngelime (Tanzania)
Prod: Ivy Kiru, AQ Pictures/LBx Africa (Kenya)

Too Much Music
Dir: Aseye Fiagbe (Ghana)
Prod: Aseye Fiagbe, Aseye Fiagbe Creative Studio (Ghana)

A Vineyard For A Lobster
Dir: Talemwa Pius (Uganda)
Prod: Gashumba Emmanuel, Gripmagic (Uganda)

OPEN DOORS PRODUCERS [AFRICA FOCUS] 2026:

Mamounata Nikiema
Pilumpiku Production (Burkina Faso)

Natasha Craveiro
Korikaxoru Films (Cabo Verde)

Adja Mariam Mahre Soro
Studio Kä (Ivory Coast)

David Ikeata
Vox Cinematic Films (Nigeria)

Rua Osman
Helomur Picture (Sudan)

Tapiwa Chipfupa
Ambidextrous Pictures (Zimbabwe)