Get ready for a fiery edition of Open Doors, the Locarno Film Festival’s Locarno Pro-organized co-production platform and talent development program for filmmakers from regions where artistic expression is at risk! The 23rd edition, the first of a multi-year focus on the African continent, now has a first trailer, created in collaboration with Nigerian director and writer C.J. “Fiery” Obasi.
It is one of three spots that he created and that will be presented before each Open Doors screening and on the festival’s social media channels.
Obasi, also known as “Fiery” or “The Fiery One,” won the Boccalino d’Oro at Locarno 2021 for his film Juju Stories. His latest film, Mami Wata (2023), premiered at Sundance and became Nigeria’s official entry for the 2024 Academy Awards.
“I’ve been a long-time fan of the Locarno Film Festival and what they stand for within the arthouse cinema world,” said Obasi. “I thought it would be a cool idea to sort of usher in this new crop of African filmmakers to the glorious Locarno Film Festival with visuals that speak to the diversity of the talent, perspectives, and possibilities that the 42 eligible countries present.”
The filmmaker explained the idea behind the clip this way: “The beautiful flags of the eligible countries are reflected on the faces of the people we see in the spot. I therefore titled The Colors That Bind Us. It’s the age-old idea of ‘Unity in Diversity’ — this time presented through stories and through cinema.”
behind the scenes of the Open Doors spot shoot
And he highlighted: “In some of the spots, images of Senegalese writer and director Ousmane Sembène and Malian filmmaker Souleymane Cissé are projected onto the actors’ faces and bodies — almost as a way of saying: they’re here with us. They are watching us.”
The spot was filmed in Kigali, Rwanda. “Though we originally planned for one, I ended up being so inspired during the shoot that I filmed a couple more ideas with the actors and models,” Obasi explained. “When I edited the footage, I came up with three 30-second spots instead of just one.”
Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, recalled: “I first met C.J. Obasi in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He was presenting an early version of what would later become Mami Wata, which went on to win at Sundance. His Hello, Rain had struck me like a lightning bolt — an authentic epiphany. We had the pleasure of featuring him in competition with the anthology film Juju Stories, and he later returned to Locarno as a jury member.”
Concluded Nazzaro: “His ability to weave ancestral elements into a contemporary, modernist gaze is unmatched. The way he reimagines African cinema of the past, merging it with the technologies of the present, is undoubtedly one of his most innovative and forward-looking contributions to contemporary filmmaking.
behind the scenes of the Open Doors spot shoot
The Open Doors trailers were directed and edited by Obasi under his Fiery Film moniker. They were produced by Oge Obasi, with Imitana Productions serving as the line producer. Sound Design is courtesy of The Fiery One, with music by Jean Abbey.
“Following a three-year cycle dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean, the Open Doors program now turns its attention to the African continent for the upcoming four editions, offering a platform for emerging voices through its Projects, Producers, and Directors programs,” Locarno Pro organizers said. “Open Doors provides comprehensive training, mentoring, and networking opportunities, alongside public screenings and events during Locarno Pro,” which runs Aug. 7-12 during the 78th edition of the Locarno festival.
Check out the first Obasi spot below.