As of this year and until 2028, Locarno Pro (7-12 August) is organising its Open Doors programme with a focus on Africa. Cineuropa takes a closer look at four of the projects being showcased this year.

Fighters – Alassane Sy (Senegal/France)
On the outskirts of Dakar, wrestling dictates the Ndiaye family’s fate. As Alright prepares for a championship, his brother Moulaye questions a future being imposed on him, while Alright’s wife, Ndatte, sacrifices her own dreams to support the family. A sudden accident shatters their world, forcing them to redefine family and fight for a life of their own. This is the premise of Sy’s debut feature, billed in the official catalogue as “visceral and rhythmic”, and capable of highlighting “bodies through movement, breathing and sweat, especially in dance”.

“Fighters is a story born of loss, resilience and the will to reclaim one's path. Set against the backdrop of Senegalese wrestling, it’s above all a family drama that reflects the tensions, choices and contradictions of contemporary life in Senegal,” says producer Jules Soulaymane Dieng. “The film stands at the crossroads of auteur cinema and powerful mainstream storytelling – deeply rooted, yet accessible and emotionally charged. We’re looking for international partners who believe in bold, meaningful films that can speak to a wide audience, in Africa and beyond.”

Budgeted at €1.95 million and set to be shot entirely in Senegal, this ambitious drama is being produced by Senegal’s Thiely Films and France’s Colors Films. “We’ll bring together French and African teams, and we are committed to investing in the training of professionals and technical teams,” adds Dieng in his producer’s notes. Backers include the CNC as well as Senegalese bodies OIF and FOPICA.

The Fortunate by Habtamu Gebrehiwot

The Fortunate – Habtamu Gebrehiwot (Ethiopia)
The project, now in development, is set in Southern Ethiopia, where Pastor Mateyos preaches passionately against addiction by day – but secretly drinks by night. His double life comes under threat when Rahel, a concerned choir member, warns him about her boyfriend Tare’s growing obsession with a bottle-cap contest run by a local brewery. What she doesn’t know is that the unclaimed winning bottle cap is in Mateyos’ possession. As Tare becomes more desperate to track down the winner, tensions rise and the pastor risks being exposed, setting the stage for a dangerous confrontation.

“What sets this project apart is its authentic portrayal of the profound challenges of faith, addiction, illegal migration and social despair within a small community, wrapped in a tense, character-driven narrative. At its core, it asks whether redemption is possible when the very miracle you seek is the one you’ve compromised on,” Gebrehiwot tells Cineuropa. The pic, budgeted at €500,000, is being staged by MTF Multimedia. The team is seeking funders and co-producers.

Diary of a Goat Woman by Azata Soro

Diary of a Goat Woman – Azata Soro (Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso)
After years in exile, Soro returns to Burkina Faso for her daughter’s baptism – a ritual loaded with patriarchal expectations. A self-proclaimed “goat-woman”, she wrestles with the values she wants to pass on. As the ceremony nears, her traumatic past resurfaces. The documentary promises to tell “a personal, political story of defiance and identity”.

“This project explores what it means to grow up and pass on values in a society that dreams of docile women. To be a goat-woman is to disrupt the order and to reject submission, often resulting in being literally scarred for it,” Soro explains. “By questioning the ancestral ritual of baptism, which imposes gender roles from the very first days of life, this film seeks to pass on to a little girl the strength to bleat, freely and proudly, without fearing death for using her voice.” The feature, budgeted at €350,000 and produced by Les Studios Indigo (Ivory Coast) with Othas Media (Burkina Faso), combines two distinct visual layers: live-action footage and abstract, 2D animation. Said animation will incorporate techniques such as papier-mâché, paper cut-outs and stop-motion.

The Bilokos by Erickey Bahati

The Bilokos – Erickey Bahati (DR Congo/France)
“The Bilokos is a creative documentary that explores life inside a military camp in Goma, Eastern Congo, a city shaped by conflict, resilience and survival,” the team tells Cineuropa. In detail, the doc zooms in on Assumani, a former soldier and amputee, who leads a group of outcasts exchanging sweets for tattered banknotes. Among them are ex-child soldiers and wounded dreamers, each battling with trauma and poverty. Their fragile enterprise offers a glimmer of hope. But as ambitions grow, tensions threaten their unity.

“Through the life of this veteran, the film reveals untold stories of humanity, trauma and strength. This feature aims to talk about war by focusing on the people who fight it, the population that lives through it daily and the city that has endured it since the 1990s. So, we are looking to connect with film funds, broadcasters and sales agents that are passionate about socially engaged cinema rooted in African realities.”

The movie, budgeted at €349,000, is being produced by Gikas Films (DR Congo), with Vraivrai Films (France) co-producing.