Open Doors Screenings 2026 — Locarno

The strand itself is genuinely programmed, which is what makes the arithmetic sting. Delphine Jeanneret and Ibee Ndaw have assembled thirteen films from twelve African countries for Locarno's 79th edition, 5 to August 15, mixing fiction, documentary and hybrid work and asking to be sat with rather than sampled; the world premiere of Aymar Esse's La kora de mon père and the Swiss premiere of Ique Langa's The Prophet are in it. Then the numbers. Locarno is running 233 films from 69 countries with 103 world premieres, and the Piazza Grande belongs to Olivia Wilde and James Gray. A continent-wide focus that fits inside a sidebar is a focus a festival can quietly drop next August.