Zsuzsi Bankuti Named Head of Locarno’s Open Doors

variety.com:

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentFollowing a vibrant 2022 edition in a three-year cycle dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean which she oversaw in an interim capacity, Zsuzsi Bánkuti has been appointed the new head of Locarno’s Open Doors.

She replaces long-time Open Doors chief Sophie Bourdon, who stepped down earlier this year. The key to this year’s Open Doors was its inspired choice of a focus on smaller territories in Latin America which are often home to first-class directors – one director this year, Dominican Yanillys Pérez scooped a Discovery Award at the Toronto Festival with her doc-feature “Jeffrey,” for example – but, apart from the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, lack robust state subsidy systems enabling producers to produce movies easily out of their own countries.

The obvious solution is international co-production. Tailor-made to advance this, Open Doors offers producers and directors networking opportunities and targeted training as well as a showcase for their films for an international audience.

This year’s edition served to highlight projects which suddenly leapt into the limelight, such as winners “Moa,” an eco-drama from Cuba’s Marcel Beltrán, “Kids Swimming in the Lake,” a fresh take on emigration from Cannes Cinéfondation laureate Michael Labarca and Yashira Jordan’s “Diamond.”Open Doors also furthered co-production deals, Bubbles Projects in Brazil, for instance, boarding “Kids Swimming” and Argentina’s Maravilla Cine confirming its production partnership on “Diamond.”Open Doors also confirmed how the battle for emancipation in Latin America has broadened to address frontally LGBTQ issues, notably in Andean queer cinema titles such as “Diamond” or “Ñusta,” brought to.