Dika Ofoma and producer Blessing Uzzi of Bluhouse Studios have been selected for the 2025 Open Doors Projects programme at the Locarno Film Festival, with their upcoming feature Kachifo (Till the Morning Comes) that has been teased as a “Nigerian reincarnation romance”.
The selection places them among an opening cohort of projects in development from across Africa, as the long-running initiative begins a new four-year cycle focused on supporting filmmaking from 42 African countries.
Kachifo, which means “goodnight” in Igbo, is one of six feature-length projects chosen for the Open Doors co-production development platform. The story, to be directed by Ofoma and produced by Uzzi, continues their creative collaboration at Bluhouse Studios after A Quiet Monday. So far in 2025, Ofoma’s latest short film, God’s Wife, has screened at IFFR and NYAFF.
Launched in 2003 by the Locarno Film Festival, the Open Doors initiative spans online workshops and in-person industry meetings, with the programme designed to nurture underrepresented voices, promote co-productions, and build sustainable film ecosystems.
Alongside Kachifo, this year’s Open Doors Projects lineup includes titles from Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Senegal, DR Congo, and Burkina Faso. The Open Doors Producers workshop will also welcome six emerging producers for a tailored training and networking programme, including representatives from Rwanda, Angola, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
The programme will culminate in a juried award ceremony on Tuesday, August 12, where selected projects will compete for a range of financial and in-kind prizes. These include the prestigious Open Doors Grant of CHF 50,000 sponsored by visions sud est and the City of Bellinzona, the CNC Development Prize worth €8,000, and the Arte Kino International Prize of €6,000.
The Locarno Open Doors focus on Africa, announced in late 2024 alongside an appearance of Locarno programs director Delphine Jeanneret at the S16 Film Festival, is expected to run from 2025 to 2028.
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