The 23rd edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors initiative (7-12 August) has unveiled its winners, continuing its commitment to supporting filmmakers from equity-seeking communities and regions where artistic expression faces significant challenges. This year, the programme kicked off its four-year focus on the African continent, highlighting its rich and diverse cinema, which is set to continue until 2028.

Open Doors, known for its co-production platform and talent development efforts, selected six projects for its 2025 edition (see the report). These projects competed for three major cash prizes designed to nurture and propel the selected films through their development stages. The programme also featured six creative producers in its career-building initiative, Open Doors Producers, alongside a group of short-film directors in the Open Doors Screenings section, collectively forming this year’s comprehensive programme selection.

The flagship Open Doors Grant, totalling CHF 50,000 (€53,100) and sponsored by visions sud est with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation as well as the City of Bellinzona, was awarded across three promising projects. The highest portion, CHF 25,000 (€26,552), was granted to Black Snake, directed by Zimbabwean filmmaker Naishe Nyamubaya and produced by Sue-Ellen Chitunya. Nigerian director Dika Ofoma’s Till the Morning Comes received CHF 20,000 (€21,421), with Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso’s Azata Soro awarded CHF 5,000 (€5,310) for Diary of a Goat Woman.

Till the Morning Comes proved to be a standout project, not only earning the Open Doors Grant, but also securing two additional awards. The film was honoured with the ARTEKino International Award, worth €6,000, and the Sørfond Award, which includes participation in the Sørfond pitching event scheduled for November, with travel and accommodation covered. Meanwhile, The Bilokos, a co-production between DR Congo and France helmed by Erickey Bahati and staged by Giresse Kassonga, received the CNC Development Grant, valued at €8,000.

These four key awards were decided upon by the Open Doors Projects jury, made up of industry experts Madeline Robert, John Canciani, Lucie Garnier, Julie Savary and Ana-Marija Grøndahl.

Beyond the core Open Doors Projects prizes, the initiative’s partners extended further support across its strands. This year marked Open Doors’ inaugural partnership with MECAS, the International Market for Almost-finished Films, which presented an award to June Wairegi, of Giza Visuals (Kenya). This prize grants Wairegi participation in MECAS’s upcoming market in Las Palmas next April, including personalised networking opportunities, travel and accommodation.

Additional partner awards were distributed by Tabakalera/San Sebastian Film Festival, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), IFFR and the World Cinema Fund. These prizes recognise and support creative producers involved in Open Doors Producers and reflect the initiative’s commitment to fostering professional growth alongside artistic development.

The Open Doors Screenings, a specially curated non-competitive section at the Locarno Film Festival, continues to showcase a selection of feature and short films from the focus regions until 15 August. Reflecting Locarno’s ethos of spotlighting underrepresented voices, this programme highlights stories and perspectives from areas where filmmakers face sociopolitical and cultural hurdles.

In addition to the competitive awards, a special Junior Jury Award of CHF 2,000 (€2,124) will be presented on 16 August during the gathering’s independent juries’ awards ceremony. This accolade will honour a short from the Open Doors Screenings selection that best embodies the theme “Environment is quality of life”, further emphasising the festival’s engagement with pressing global issues through the seventh art.

Here is the list of this year’s winners:

Open Doors Grants

Black Snake – Naishe Nyamubaya (Zimbabwe)
Producer: Sue-Ellen Chitunya

Till the Morning Comes – Dika Ofoma (Nigeria)
Producer: Bluhouse Studios

Diary of a Goat Woman – Azata Soro (Ivory Coast/Burkina Faso)
Producers: Les Studios Indigo, Othas Media

CNC Development Grant
The Bilokos – Erickey Bahati (DR Congo/France)
Producers: Gikas Films, Vraivrai Films

ARTEKino International Award
Till the Morning Comes - Dika Ofoma

Sørfond Award
Till the Morning Comes - Dika Ofoma

Tabakalera-San Sebastian Film Festival Residency Award
Yannick Mizero Kabano (Imitana Productions, Rwanda)

MECAS Award
June Wairegi (Giza Visuals, Kenya)

Open Doors – OIF – ACP – EU Award
Yannick Mizero Kabano (Imitana Productions, Rwanda)

Rotterdam Lab Award
Kamy Lara (Uika Filmes, Angola)

Open Doors – World Cinema Fund Audience Strategy Award
Kamy Lara (Uika Filmes, Angola)