The 2025 Locarno Film Festival will kick off its Open Doors section with the world premiere of When Nigeria Happens, directed by Nigerian filmmaker Ema Edosio. The film, which has had private screenings in Nigeria, is now set for its international debut as the opening feature in the non-competitive Open Doors Screenings.
The screening marks a major milestone, as Locarno launches its new four-year Africa-focused Open Doors cycle, running from 2025 to 2028. The section highlights films from underrepresented regions and offers a platform for stories often overlooked by the global industry.
“The selection of When Nigeria Happens as the first African film to become the opening feature of the Open Doors Section at Locarno is an immense honour,” said director Ema Edosio. “Our film serves as a testament to the resilience, ingenuity, and spirit of the Nigerian youth. In our film, it was important to us that any viewing audience find a reflection of our lived realities. I expect that these kinds of stories will continue to find relevance at home and abroad.”
A co-production between Citygates Film Production, Nganda Cinema, and 8th Day Productions Limited, When Nigeria Happens was developed in close collaboration with Qudus Onikeku of Q-Dance Centre. The film weaves dance and music to explore the realities and struggles of young creatives navigating Nigeria’s socio-political landscape.
The screenplay was co-written by Edosio and Bayo Oduwole, with Jeff Jacobson serving as executive producer. The ensemble cast features veteran actors Alex Usifo (The Black Book), Seun Ajayi (The Lost Okoroshi), and Jide Kene Achufusi (Living in Bondage: Breaking Free), alongside a breakout lead performance by Abella “DomDom” Dominic.
The film is Edosio’s follow-up to her 2022 feature Otiti, and she is currently developing Bisesero: A Daughter’s Story, a film set against the backdrop of the Rwandan genocide and starring Wale Ojo.
When Nigeria Happens will screen alongside 12 other titles in the Open Doors selection, including Ancestral Visions of the Future (Lesotho), Bougainvillea (Sudan), Jangu (Uganda), The Bride (Rwanda), and Une si longue lettre (Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Egypt), among others.
As part of the wider Open Doors programme, five directors showing their films will also join the Open Doors Directors initiative.
Already reported a month ago, Nigerian filmmaker Dika Ofoma is part of the 2025 cohort for co-production development support at the Open Doors.
The 78th Locarno Film Festival will run from August 6 to 16, 2025.
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