Four African short-film projects will be presented at the inaugural Final Cut: New African Shorts event in Winterthur, Switzerland, on Thursday, 5 November 2026.

The organiser’s industry listing confirms an 18:00–19:15 session at blue Cinema Maxx 4, Kesselhaus Winterthur. The initiative joins Locarno’s Open Doors with Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur to connect developing work with international short-film professionals.

The presentation is the coming event. The wider Winterthur festival runs from 3 to 8 November, according to BroadcastPro’s announcement coverage; the two date ranges should not be confused.

### Four projects, several African settings

The official selection names “The Chair That Listens”, a documentary from Ethiopia by Tesfa Maryam Dargai Molla; “Mia”, fiction from Madagascar by Morgane Razafinony; and “Suka Naayo”, fiction listed for Mauritania and Senegal by Jam Abdoulaye Sall.

Nigeria’s “Tooth”, a fiction project by Dika Ofoma, completes the group.

The listing gives each filmmaker 15 minutes to present their work. It also says one project will be selected for SFC | Rendez-vous Industry in Cannes, with the result to be announced at the Industry Awards Ceremony.

That is an onward industry opportunity whose recipient has yet to be announced. It is not evidence that all four films have been selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s official competition.

### Tooth brings one story into focus

What Kept Me Up’s new report identifies Nkali Films and Idunoba Entertainment as the producers of “Tooth” and says the film remains in post-production.

Its story follows a five-year-old injured while trying to undo a superstition about a fallen tooth. His mother’s response exposes the burden placed on the teenage girl responsible for bringing him up.

That is a synopsis of fiction, not a report of an actual injury. It gives readers a point of entry into the project without establishing how the finished film will handle its characters or be received.

The Nigerian publication also recalls Ofoma’s “A Quiet Monday” screening at Winterthur in 2023 and the Open Doors recognition for his separate feature project “Kachifo” in 2025. Those earlier projects provide career context; the new selection concerns “Tooth”.

### Why present before completion?

BroadcastPro describes Final Cut as a platform for works-in-progress and professional feedback. That places it at a different stage from a conventional public premiere.

A nearly finished short may still face decisions about editing, sound, delivery and the route to its first audience. A presentation can explain those needs as well as the story and the team’s ambitions.

For an industry audience, the useful exchange is therefore specific. What stage has the film reached? What remains to be completed? Which festival or distribution relationships could help it reach the right viewers?

None of those questions requires a promise of commercial success. The value of an encounter can lie in clearer decisions and appropriate contacts, even before a release plan is settled.

### Industry access needs checking

The organiser links to an official reservation page that confirms the 5 November date, 18:00 start and Maxx 4 venue. The times are local to Winterthur.

That page provides a ticket-ID login for holders of a ticket, pass or accreditation. Readers considering attendance should check the applicable pass and reservation conditions rather than assume the presentation is a free public screening.

The programme already names its selected projects. This report is about that selection and the scheduled event, not an invitation to submit an additional film to the current cohort.

### A development step with work still ahead

For filmmakers across Africa and the diaspora, the initiative makes visible a stage that can be overlooked between production and release. Completing a film and positioning it for audiences involve related but different tasks.

Useful preparation for an industry encounter includes a clear account of the work, its current stage and the support being sought. The same clarity helps distinguish an announced selection from an award, a sales agreement or a finished release.

RIM’s report on Adanne’s festival and sales journey examines a feature at another stage of reaching viewers.

Final Cut’s four projects now have a scheduled opportunity to present their work. The next evidence will come from the event, the announced onward selection and the films as they move towards completion.

*Illustration: AI-generated film folders and editing objects; no actual project, film scene, filmmaker or festival presentation is depicted.*

Why this matters

African short-film teams need routes between finishing work and reaching suitable international audiences. Final Cut creates a specific industry encounter for four selected projects while recognising that development, presentation and release are different stages. Its cross-regional selection also gives attention to more than one national cinema. Clear descriptions of the format and Cannes-related opportunity help filmmakers and diaspora readers judge what has been secured and what remains ahead.

Sources

Topics: African cinema · Short films · Winterthur · Locarno Open Doors · Dika Ofoma · Film development

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