One region, eight countries, twenty-two films.One section: Open Doors. Once again the Locarno Festival looked at a region where the light of cinema struggles to shine. The spotlight was on South Asia, with projects to develop, filmographies to support and ideas to share. Consider it done. At Locarno70 as well.

The names of prizewinners for the Open Doors Hub coproduction platform and the Open Doors Lab producer-training workshop were announced today. The prizes, both cash and in the form of tangible assistance, have been awarded to projects and participants in the international platform Open Doors Hub and the training workshop Open Doors Lab, with the aim of supporting their progress after the Festival. For the Open Doors Hub, BADESZENEN by Dawood Hilmandi (Afghanistan) received 35,000 Swiss francs and ONE SUMMER DAY by We Ra Aung (Myanmar) was awarded with 15,000 Swiss francs. The CNC grant (8,000 euros) was awarded to ONE SUMMER DAY by We Ra Aung (Myanmar) and the Prix ARTE International Open Doors (6,000 euros) was given to MADE IN BANGLADESH by Rubaiyat Hossain (Bangladesh / France).
Three participants in the Open Doors Lab have received two awards and one special mention, respectively from representatives of Initiative Film and the TorinoFilmLab. Rasitha Jinasena with his project MAHAMAYA (Sri Lanka) received the Open Doors to development – Initiative Film Grant. Jawed Taiman's project THE LAST NIGHT (Afghanistan) got a special mention and the Open Doors TFL Award was given to Jami Mahmood (Pakistan).

The Winterthur International Short Film Festival offered the two-month residency at the Villa Sträuli to Pradeepan Raveendran, Open Doors Screenings, Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, Rati Tsiteladze (Filmmakers Academy, Georgia) received a special mention.
The program of Open Doors Screenings presents a selection of 22 films from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and continues until the end of the Festival.
From the very beginning Open Doors has been able to count on the invaluable and loyal partnership of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).