“Chapa 100,” which received the 2025 Atlas Workshops Development Award, has secured international sales representation through Luminalia, an Italy-based agency. The film, written and directed by Mozambique-based filmmaker Ique Langa, is positioned as a standout selection for Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors program, which focuses on African cinema.
The production has attracted notable talent and collaborators. Associate producer Mo Harawe brings experience from his critically acclaimed film “The Village Next to Paradise,” which screened at Cannes Festival’s Un Certain Regard section. Egyptian cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef and production company Better Films from Mozambique have also joined the project, reflecting growing industry interest in the film’s development.
“Chapa 100” represents Langa’s second feature following his directorial debut “The Prophet,” which premiered at the IFF Rotterdam and will screen at Locarno’s Open Doors. The narrative blends social realism with magical realism, following elderly street vendors in Maputo whose chance meeting sparks romance. When tragedy strikes, supernatural elements emerge as the protagonist’s spirit becomes connected to a local minibus, transforming it with blooming flowers.
Luminalia’s acquisition reflects broader expansion into sub-Saharan African filmmaking. The agency also represents Langa’s debut feature and “Atcha Atcha,” a documentary by Senegalese director Mamadou Dia. The film recently secured the Cultiv’Art/Expertise France Development Grant, one of the largest international development awards for a Mozambican feature.
Originally reported by Variety →
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