Mr Viral
The Locarno Film Festival‘s Open Doors program, which supports filmmakers from underrepresented regions of the world, has unveiled a new team for its next four-year mission: To focus on supporting and elevating African cinema.
The co-production and talent develpment initiative, previously focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, will turn its attention to the African continent for the next four years, teaming up with pan-African film studio collective YETU (Un)Limited to help strengthen African cinemas’ ecosystem locally and boost the presence of African filmmakers internationally.
Producer and YETU co-founder Yanis Gaye (Senegal) has been appointed head of studies for the initative, leading a team of industry professionals, many of which have deep roots in African cinema.
Ibee Ndaw from Gambia/Senegal joins as an Open Doors programmer, bringing extensive experience as a festival manager and sales agent. Producers Tiny Mungwe and Mitchell Harper from South Africa, who have 15 years of experience in pan-African community cinema, will serve as artistic consultants.
The selection committee will feature prominent African filmmakers including as Angolan director and programmer Fradique Bastos, the Nigerian-American producer Melissa Adeyemo, and Burkinabé director Apolline Traoré. They will work alongside Locarno’s Julia Duarte to identify and support emerging talent.
(from left to right, top to bottom: Yanis Gaye, Ibee Ndaw (, Tiny Mungwe, Mitchell Harper, Marjorie Bendeck, Delphine Jeanneret, Julia Duarte, Fradique Bastos, Melissa Adeyemo, Apolline Traoré
©Marine Berger, Locarno Film Festival
Zsuzsi Bánkuti, head of Open Doors, emphasized the program’s commitment to creating a “safe and creative space” for film professionals, highlighting the team’s deep understanding of the regional cinema landscape.
Filmmakers from 42 eligible African countries can apply for three main programs: Open Doors Projects, Open Doors Producers, and Open Doors Directors. Submissions will be open from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16, 2025, with a webinar scheduled for Dec. 12 this year to provide more information to interested participants.
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