Ghanaian film ‘Eco Reach We All’ secures world premiere at 79th Locarno Film Festival

After years of development, funding, and creative grit, Ghanaian feature film “Ego Reach We All” has earned an official nomination to make its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this month.

Formerly titled Vagabonds, the 105-minute drama was written and directed by Amartei Armar and produced by Yemoh Ike.

 It marks one of the biggest international breakthroughs for Ghanaian cinema in recent years.

The film was shot entirely in Ghana with a Ghanaian cast and crew, grounding it in authentic local culture.

 Post-production was completed in France, a collaboration that Director Amartei Armar says reflects the film’s spirit, “A Ghanaian story told with the world.”

The journey began in 2018 when the short film version won at the Montreal World Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying event.

 From there, ‘Ego Reach We All’ grew into a full-length feature backed by some of the most respected names in global film development: Winner – Cannes Focus CoPro, Recipient – Red Sea Development Fund, Honoree – Red Sea Souk Award and Backed by – Red Sea Productions Fund.

Industry watchers have called it one of the most promising African film projects to emerge in the last decade.

Beyond awards, the project was shaped in top international labs.

Armar was selected for the Heyazah Screening Lab in Doha, Qatar, to refine the film’s narrative. 

Producer, Yemoh Ike joined the prestigious, 2023 EAVE Producers Programme under a CNC scholarship, with training sessions in Luxembourg, Austria, and the Netherlands. 

Most recently, the film was chosen for the 2025 Atlas Workshop in Marrakesh, Morocco, cementing its place in global cinema circles.

Casts include, Idrissu Tontie, Dorothy Adobea Tandoh, Emmanuel Wilberforce, Barbara Yong Jin, Emmanuel Owusu Ofori, O’Bryan Kwame Enyan, Gabriel Narh Addo, Nelly Bilson, and Kwame Brenya.

For the team, Locarno is not just a festival slot. It’s validation that Ghanaian stories, told by Ghanaians, can compete on the world’s most respected stages.

“Principal photography was done entirely by Ghanaian creatives,” the producers noted.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme