The Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors co-production platform and talent development program for filmmakers from communities and regions seeking justice where artistic expression is at risk has revealed the participants and partners for its inaugural Open Doors Connect programme.
Open Doors is preparing to release its second edition with a focus on African cinema. Organizers highlighted that the new Open Doors Connect initiative provides “a pathway for professionals from countries outside Open Doors’ traditional geographic focus.” “The program also allows foundations, film organizations and organizations to join through the sponsorship of an industry professional, opening up new funding models, markets and collaborations rooted in global equity.”
The program welcomes not only those directly involved in production, but “anyone looking to build new relationships with the African continent and participate as a partner.”
Participants will follow a two-month hybrid programme, online and on-site during the Locarno Film Festival, under the supervision of producer Phoebe Chioria from Kenya and curator, producer, arts director and consultant Mitchell Harper from South Africa. There will be “common points of connection with the broader Open Doors and Locarno Pro programs and personal industry matchmaking,” Locarno said.
“The inaugural Open Doors Connect program will mark a new phase in the program’s development,” Harper explained. “By bringing together film professionals from Benin, Madagascar, Brazil and Mongolia, Open Doors Connect aims not only to [only] To serve as a platform for the professional development of participants, but also to envision and facilitate opportunities for South-South cooperation, drawing on knowledge, experiences and models from each of its regions.
On Wednesday, Locarno revealed four partners who have joined, with each sponsoring one participant. Check out the participants and sponsors here.
Participating: Candy Radivera (Madagascar), “also received a production grant of CHF 20,000 from the Wyss Academy for her upcoming documentary Crab diagonal“.
Partner and Sponsor: Wyss Nature Academy
Participant: Freddy Agblo (Benin), “an emerging producer committed to amplifying underrepresented voices and promoting new narratives from Africa to global audiences.”
Partner and Sponsor: International Organization of the Francophonie
Participant: Talita Arruda (Brazil), “a distributor who also served as an expert during the Open Doors course in Latin America.”
Partner and Sponsor: Projeto Paradiso
Participant: Nomintuya Baasankhuu (Mongolia), who participated in Open Doors in 2021 with her project Water park She has since founded her own film development initiative in Mongolia, Film Nomad, inspired in part by her experience at Open Doors.
Partner and Sponsor: Film Nomad Lab
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