Three films from Africa namely Kachifo, Black Snake, and Diary of a Goat Woman have been announced as the top winners at the Open Doors section of the 2025 Locarno Film Festival. The largest portion of the Open Doors Grant, a cash prize of CHF 25,000, was awarded to Black Snake, a Zimbabwean supernatural mystery by Zimbabwean-Egyptian director, Naishe Nyamubaya, and Zimbabwean-American producer, Sue-Ellen Chitunya. Black Snake, said the jury, is a “bold and singular work from Zimbabwe” that is “[anchored] in landscapes and a cultural world rarely seen on screen, and driven by compelling characters”.

Nigerian reincarnation romance, Kachifo (Till The Morning Comes), by director, Dika Ofoma and produced by Blessing Uzzi, won a grant of CHF 20,000. The jury said Kachifo made it “excited by the complex and challenging approach taken, which will require further work to fully realize. We look forward to seeing this film about love on the big screen soon.”

While Diary of a Goat Woman (Journal Intime d’une Femme-Chèvre), a documentary-animation hybrid by Ivorian and Burkinabé director, Azata Soro and producer Nameita Lica Toure, received CHF 5,000.  According to the jury, Diary of A Goat Woman “is a powerful and poetic project…Through the journey of a woman who refuses submission, it gives voice to what is often left unsaid. The jury is proud to support a deeply personal reflection on transmission and resistance”.

Nigeria’s Ofoma also bagged two additional awards: the ARTEKino International Award valued at €6,000; and the Sørfond Award, securing him an invitation to the Sørfond pitching event in November.

The Congolese veteran documentary, Les Bilokos (The Bilokos), directed by Erickey Bahati and produced by Giresse Kassonga, also received the €8,000 CNC Development Grant. Speaking about the film, the jury shared: “In a context where representations of the war in the DRC are rare, the film offers a new perspective on this conflict, shedding light on the resilience of former combatants who are now rebuilding their lives in Goma, a city still scarred and shaken by war.”

With its focus on the African continent, this year’s Locarno Film Festival signals the growing presence of African cinema on the global stage. The Locarno Film Festival is still ongoing and will conclude on August 16.The Open Doors Screening will continue until August 15, while the Festival’s Independent Juries Award Ceremony will be held on August 16.