Open Doors explores cinema in Southeast Asia and Mongolia via a co-production platform, a producers’ Lab and a non-competitive screening section taking place in August, plus year-round activities including Consultancy services and a knowledge-sharing platform (Toolbox).
The Open Doors section is going online this year, involving all its branches and remaining active through the crisis and beyond.
From 2019 until 2021, the Open Doors section of the Locarno Film Festival is focusing on the cinematographic landscape of Southeast Asia and Mongolia.
For three years, the project will spotlight film projects, talents and film producers from the following countries: Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Mongolia.
The main program of Open Doors consists of three parallel activities taking place during Locarno 2020.
In response to the health crisis that has hit the planet, Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films was designed to support global cinematic communication by scheduling Open Doors projects between 6 and 11 August.
Discover all details of the titles selected for the digital edition of Open Doors Hub and Open Doors Lab in the Open Doors Brochure.
Between 2019 and 2021, the Open Doors Screenings section explores the diverse cinematography of Southeast Asia and Mongolia. In 2020 it proposes a curated focus on feature and short films from Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
Since the end of 2019, Open Doors has decided to expand and strengthen its collaboration with film professionals from the Open Doors focus regions beyond the Festival dates by offering new year-round activities and services.
These remote and free services remain as active as ever during the Covid-19 crisis and are dedicated to the South Asian countries of the previous focus region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and to the Southeast Asian countries that, together with Mongolia, are currently highlighted by Open Doors (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam).
Open Doors extends its outreach program to assist film professionals in the focus region by organizing local seminars and workshops as well as an annual regional forum.
This is possible thanks to partnerships with local festivals and organizations such as SEAFIC (Southeast Asia Fiction Film Lab), ACM (Arts Council of Mongolia) and Ulaanbaatar International Film Festival, Autumn Meeting (Vietnam), the Cambodia Film Commission and Bophana Center, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (Indonesia), Akatara Film Financing Forum (Indonesia), MEMORY! International Heritage Film Festival (Myanmar), QCinema and Film Development Council of the Philippines.
In 2019, Open Doors celebrated its 17th anniversary. Thanks to the collaboration, at the outset, of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the sidebar section is able to pursue a trio of objectives.
First and foremost, its aim is to draw the attention of industry professionals and the international audience towards directors and films from countries in the South and East of the world. Secondly, to create optimal conditions for realizing and disseminating their feature film projects via a platform for discussion and professional exchange, linking with their counterparts in Europe and elsewhere as potential partners.
Lastly, to contribute to the development of a local and regional independent filmmaking scene, and to connect their industry representatives with a global network of international peers.
This threefold effort is complemented by a program of promotional initiatives and professional training workshops in the region, selected in close cooperation with local players.
