As a seasoned gamer of global cinema landscapes, I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement at the news of Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors program shifting its focus to African cinema for the next four years. Having traversed the vibrant cinematic terrains of Latin America and the Caribbean, I am eager to delve into the rich tapestry of stories that Africa has to offer.
The Open Doors program at the Locarno Film Festival, designed to aid filmmakers from less represented global areas, has announced a fresh leadership group for their upcoming four-year initiative. Their main goal now is to foster and promote African cinema.
For the upcoming four years, the collaborative effort aimed at co-producing and nurturing talent, which had primarily focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, will shift its focus towards Africa. In this new phase, it plans to join forces with YETU (Un)Limited, a pan-African collective of film studios, to bolster local African cinema ecosystems and increase the global recognition of African filmmakers.
Yanis Gaye, co-founder of Producer and YETU, hails from Senegal and has recently been assigned as the head of studies for this initiative. He will be overseeing a group of seasoned professionals in the film industry, many of whom have strong ties to African cinema.
Originating from Gambia/Senegal, Ibee Ndaw officially becomes an Open Doors programmer, boasting a wealth of knowledge gained through his roles as a festival manager and sales agent. The creative duo, Tiny Mungwe and Mitchell Harper, hailing from South Africa with 15 years of expertise in community cinema across Africa, will offer their artistic guidance.
The distinguished committee for selection will include notable African filmmakers such as Angolan director and programmer Fradique Bastos, Nigerian-American producer Melissa Adeyemo, and Burkinabé director Apolline Traoré. These individuals will collaborate with Julia Duarte from Locarno to discover and nurture budding talent.
Zsuzsi Bánkuti, Director of Open Doors, underscored their dedication to establishing an environment that’s both secure and conducive to creativity for film industry experts. She pointed out the team’s extensive knowledge about the local movie scene in the region.
42 African countries with eligible filmmakers are invited to apply for three key programs: Open Doors Projects, Open Doors Producers, and Open Doors Directors. The application window will be open from November 28, 2024, to January 16, 2025. A webinar is planned on December 12, 2024, to share more details with those who are interested.
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2024-11-28 12:24