This year’s Open Doors showcased a dynamic new generation of African filmmakers who are actively constructing industry frameworks, such as pan-regional co-productions, genre films, and projects aimed at Arab or Indian audiences, all in an effort to lessen their dependence on European funding.
Open Doors 2025: Celebrating African Talent
Open Doors, the co-production platform and talent development initiative from Locarno, dedicated to filmmakers from equity-seeking communities and regions where artistic expression faces challenges, has revealed its winners for 2025. This year marks the 23rd edition of Open Doors, with a renewed emphasis on 42 countries across the African continent.
Six innovative projects in development were chosen for the Open Doors Projects co-production platform, making them eligible for the three main cash prizes. Additionally, six creative producers participated in the program’s career-building initiative, Open Doors Producers, alongside the directors of short films featured in the Open Doors Screenings, collectively forming this year’s comprehensive selection.
The initiative’s premier award for the Open Doors Projects, the Open Doors Grant, valued at CHF 50,000 and sponsored by visions sud est (with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation) and the City of Bellinzona, was distributed among three standout projects:
Black Snake, directed by Naishe Nyamubaya and produced by Sue-Ellen Chitunya (Zimbabwe) (CHF 25,000);
Kachifo (Till the Morning Comes), directed by Dika Ofoma and produced by Blessing Uzzi (Nigeria) (CHF 20,000);
and Journal intime d’une femme chèvre (Diary of a Goat Woman), directed by Azata Soro and produced by Nameïta Lica Touré (Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso) (CHF 5,000).
Notably, Kachifo (Till the Morning Comes) also garnered two additional accolades: the ARTEKino International Award, worth €6,000, and the Sørfond Award, which allows the project to participate in the Sørfond pitching event in November.
Furthermore, Les Bilokos (The Bilokos), directed by Erickey Bahati and produced by Giresse Kassonga (DR Congo, France), received the CNC Development Grant of €8,000.
The above awards were determined by the Open Doors Projects Jury, which included esteemed members such as Madeline Robert (Manager, visions sud est), John Canciani (Artistic Director, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur), Lucie Garnier (CNC Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, DEENTAL-ACP Programme Manager), Julie Savary (ARTE France, Head of Projects), and Ana-Marija Grøndahl (Films from the South, Head of Production).
Additionally, Open Doors partners—including the Tabakalera-San Sebastian Film Festival, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Rotterdam International Film Festival, and World Cinema Fund—offered awards to participants across the three program strands.
In a significant development for 2025, Open Doors partnered for the first time with MECAS, the International Market for Almost-Finished Films. MECAS awarded June Wairegi (Giza Visuals, Kenya), one of the Open Doors Producers, with a prize that includes participation in the market, personalized meetings, and networking opportunities, covering travel and accommodation costs. The next MECAS edition is set to take place in Gran Canaria in April 2026.
Persons
Naishe Nyamubaya, Sue-Ellen Chitunya, Dika Ofoma, Blessing Uzzi, Azata Soro, Nameïta Lica Touré, Erickey Bahati, Giresse Kassonga, Madeline Robert, John Canciani, Lucie Garnier, Julie Savary, Ana-Marija Grøndahl, June Wairegi
Company Names
visions sud est, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, City of Bellinzona, CNC Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, ARTE France, Tabakalera-San Sebastian Film Festival, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Rotterdam International Film Festival, World Cinema Fund, Giza Visuals
Titles
Black Snake, Kachifo (Till the Morning Comes), Journal intime d’une femme chèvre (Diary of a Goat Woman), Les Bilokos (The Bilokos)
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