The Locarno Movie Pageant‘s Open Doorways program, which helps filmmakers from underrepresented areas of the world, has unveiled a brand new group for its subsequent four-year mission: To concentrate on supporting and elevating African cinema.
The co-production and expertise develpment initiative, beforehand targeted on Latin America and the Caribbean, will flip its consideration to the African continent for the subsequent 4 years, teaming up with pan-African movie studio collective YETU (Un)Restricted to assist strengthen African cinemas’ ecosystem regionally and enhance the presence of African filmmakers internationally.
Producer and YETU co-founder Yanis Gaye (Senegal) has been appointed head of research for the initative, main a group of trade professionals, a lot of which have deep roots in African cinema.
Ibee Ndaw from Gambia/Senegal joins as an Open Doorways programmer, bringing in depth expertise as a competition supervisor and gross sales agent. Producers Tiny Mungwe and Mitchell Harper from South Africa, who’ve 15 years of expertise in pan-African group cinema, will function creative consultants.
The choice committee will function distinguished African filmmakers together with as Angolan director and programmer Fradique Bastos, the Nigerian-American producer Melissa Adeyemo, and Burkinabé director Apolline Traoré. They may work alongside Locarno’s Julia Duarte to establish and help rising expertise.
(from left to proper, prime to backside: Yanis Gaye, Ibee Ndaw (, Tiny Mungwe, Mitchell Harper, Marjorie Bendeck, Delphine Jeanneret, Julia Duarte, Fradique Bastos, Melissa Adeyemo, Apolline Traoré
©Marine Berger, Locarno Movie Pageant
Zsuzsi Bánkuti, head of Open Doorways, emphasised this system’s dedication to making a “protected and inventive house” for movie professionals, highlighting the group’s deep understanding of the regional cinema panorama.
Filmmakers from 42 eligible African international locations can apply for 3 primary packages: Open Doorways Initiatives, Open Doorways Producers, and Open Doorways Administrators. Submissions shall be open from Nov. 28 to Jan. 16, 2025, with a webinar scheduled for Dec. 12 this 12 months to offer extra data to members.