Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe: Locarno Open Doors

The Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors program has long served as a gateway for filmmakers from underrepresented regions, and this year’s edition shines a spotlight on the Caribbean, Africa, and the diaspora. Among the producers selected for the 2026 initiative are voices from Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, and Zimbabwe, each bringing a distinct vision that reflects both the struggles and the creative surges of their home territories.

For Cabo Verdean producer Miranda Duarte, the conversation quickly moves past the nation’s recent football glory - the country’s historic World Cup qualification has dominated headlines back home - and toward the challenge of building a sustainable film industry once the tournament buzz fades. “Football gave us visibility, but cinema gives us permanence,” Duarte said during a panel at the festival. Her current project, a drama set in the fishing communities of Santiago Island, aims to capture a side of Cabo Verde rarely seen on screen. The producer acknowledged the practical hurdles: a small domestic market, limited financing infrastructure, and the constant need to look outward for co-production partners. Yet she insisted that the international attention from the World Cup offers a rare window to pitch the country as more than a tourist postcard. “We have stories that can travel,” she added. “We just need the right doors to open.”

From Ivory Coast, producer Aïcha Koné is pushing against the grain of live-action dominance by championing animation. Her studio in Abidjan has spent the past three years developing an animated feature rooted in West African folklore, blending traditional oral storytelling with contemporary visual techniques. Koné noted that while the region’s live-action cinema has gained traction on the festival circuit, animation remains vastly underserved, both in funding and audience expectations. “People assume animation is for children or that it’s too expensive to do properly here,” she explained. “But we have talented young artists who are already making waves on digital platforms.” Her project, inspired by the trickster tales of the Malinke people, is designed to appeal both locally and internationally, with a voice cast that includes Ivorian musicians and a visual style that draws from the vibrant patterns of kente and bogolan textiles. Koné sees the Locarno platform as a chance to connect with European animation funds and broadcasters, which have shown growing interest in African content.

Zimbabwe’s representative, producer Tendai Moyo, arrives in Locarno with a more combative energy. His project, a political thriller set in the aftermath of a disputed election, tackles the country’s recent history head-on - a subject that remains sensitive in Harare. Moyo acknowledged the risks but framed the film as an act of ambition rather than provocation. “We cannot keep waiting for permission to tell our own stories,” he said. “The world doesn’t need another film about Zimbabwe’s crisis; it needs a story about the people who refuse to be defined by it.” His production company has been building a network of young directors and cinematographers in the country, many of whom trained abroad and have returned to work in precarious conditions. Moyo is seeking finishing funds and sales agents at Locarno, but he is equally focused on mentorship, hoping to create a pipeline for the next generation rather than a one-off project.

The three producers represent a broader shift within the Open Doors program, which this year has emphasized regional collaboration over national isolation. Duarte noted that despite their different contexts, the producers have already begun sharing resources and contacts. “We may be from small countries with big problems, but we are stronger when we exchange notes,” she said. Koné echoed that sentiment, pointing to a planned co-production workshop between Ivorian and Cabo Verdean animators set for later this year. Moyo, meanwhile, remains pragmatic about the limits of a single festival appearance. “Locarno is a spotlight, not a solution,” he said. “The real work happens back home, in the long months of editing and fundraising.”

For now, the three producers are taking advantage of the festival’s networking opportunities, attending pitching sessions and meeting with potential financiers from Europe and North America. Each carries a different ambition - Duarte for a cinema that reflects a nation’s quiet dignity, Koné for an animation industry that can stand on its own, Moyo for a bold cinema that confronts power - but all share a common belief that their stories deserve a global stage. As the festival continues through its final week, the Open Doors section remains a vital reminder that film production outside the traditional centers is not just surviving but evolving, driven by producers willing to look beyond the obvious headlines and toward the untold narratives that lie beneath.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter