Locarno Open Doors: Talemwa Pius’ ‘A Vineyard for a Lobster’ and Mohammed Sheikh’s ‘Accept My Plea for a Burial’ Win Top Prizes at Festival’s Africa Industry Focus

Ugandan Talemwa Pius’ striking magic realist fable “A Vineyard for a Lobster” and “Accept My Plea for a Burial,” a Somalia set critique of ancient custom, emerged triumphant at Locarno’s 2026 Open Doors, winning its two biggest cash prizes. Neither prize comes as a surprise.  Picturing a miraculous snowfall in a drough

The Locarno Film Festival has unveiled the winners of the project and incubator initiatives gathered under its Locarno Pro umbrella and spanning First Look, Alliance 4 Development, and Open Doors For Open Doors, Talemwa Pius’s A Vineyard For A Lobster (Uganda), Mohammed Sheikh’s Accept My Plea for Burial (Somalia) and

'A Vineyard for A Lobster,' 'Accept My Plea for Burial,' 'Too Much Music' and 'Chapa 100' are among the winners of the co-production platform and talent development program's second year of an Africa focus.