Open Doors Connect is specially designed for creative producers, with an emphasis on South-South collaborations, within or beyond Africa.
By Adedamola Jones Adedayo
Two African producers, from Benin and Madagascar, have been selected among the four participants set to feature in the inaugural edition of Locarno’s Open Doors Connect, a sidebar of Open Doors, the talent development and co-production arm of the Locarno Film Festival. Each of the four participants will receive sponsorship from a partner organisation allocated to them.
Beninese film producer Frédy Agblo gets the backing of Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, a global body connecting French-speaking or culturally aligned regions, in his continued commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and championing new narratives from Africa for global audiences.
Similarly, Candy Radifera, a producer from Madagascar, receives support from Wyss Academy for Nature, an international institution at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity loss and land use change in relation to human wellbeing. Radifera also benefits from a CHF 20,000 (twenty thousand Swiss francs) seed provided by the institution, which will go into the production of the filmmaker’s upcoming documentary, The Crab Diagonal.
Through pairings with these international partners, both African participants are set to benefit from tailored mentorship, expanded access and potential co-production opportunities that could significantly strengthen the development and market readiness of their respective projects.
Open Doors Connect is specially designed for creative producers, with an emphasis on South-South collaborations, within or beyond Africa. This year’s edition will take place both online from June to July, 2026 and physically from 6th to 11th August, 2026.