In a statement, the film festival organizers recalled that the Open Doors program will dedicate a four-year cycle to talents from the African continent, "offering a platform for emerging voices across the categories of projects, producers and directors".
Defined as a "training workshop focused on career development for creative producers", Angolan Kamy Lara will be joined by Yannick Mizero Kabano from Rwanda, Kudi Maradzika from Zimbabwe, Moustapha Sawadogo from Burkina Faso, Leul Shoaferaw from Ethiopia and June Wairegi from Kenya.
According to the biography on the website of the production company Uika Filmes, which she founded in 2023, director Kamy Lara has over 15 years of experience in the sector and has worked in various roles from cinematography to editing.
The same text highlights, among her works, the documentary "Para Lá dos Meus Passos", from 2019, "shown in more than 20 international festivals and winner of the Best Documentary award at the San Francisco Dance Film Festival (USA) and Doc Luanda (Angola)".
"Her work is recognized for transcending entertainment, offering critical perspectives on political and social issues and fueling essential dialogues about Angolan reality", adds the same text.
According to the production company's website, she has projects in progress such as the short film "Karl Marx, Luanda", by Kiluanji Kia Henda, whose filming ended in February of last year, the feature film "Hold Time For Me", by Fradique (in co-production with Spain and Germany), or Kamy Lara's own film "Fuckin' Globo", which won an award at this year's edition of Doc Luanda.
The Locarno International Film Festival will take place between August 6 and 16 and this year's edition will award a lifetime achievement award to British actress Emma Thompson.
