A Ghanaian feature film, “Ego Reach We All (Our Time Will Come),” will have its world premiere at the 79th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland from August 5 to 15, 2026.
The film was selected from more than 223 submissions, including 103 world premieres. It will compete in Concorso Cineasti del Presente, the festival’s Filmmakers of the Present competition for first and second features.
Written and directed by Amartei Armar and produced by Yemoh Ike, “Ego Reach We All” is a feature-length adaptation of Armar’s award-winning short film Vagabonds. The short gained international acclaim after winning at the Montreal World Film Festival.
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Shot entirely in Ghana with a runtime of 105 minutes and post-production completed in France, the film follows two young orphans, Owusu and Adobea, as they journey across the Ghanaian countryside in search of their last living biological parent. In the bustling streets of Accra, they encounter a gang of street youths surviving through petty crime. Their meeting sparks a rich, narrative told in Twi, Ga, and Pidgin that explores themes of ego, community, survival, and solidarity among Ghana’s youth.
Behind the camera, the collaboration between Armar and producer Yemoh Ike has proven particularly potent. The project has steadily gathered international momentum, securing the Cannes Focus CoPro Award along with vital backing from the Red Sea Development Fund, Red Sea Souk Award, and Red Sea Productions Fund.
Armar honed aspects of the work at the Heyazah Screening Lab in Doha, while Ike strengthened his producing skills through the 2023 EAVE Producers Programme. Most recently, the team participated in the 2025 Atlas Workshop in Marrakesh.
What makes “Ego Reach We All” stand out is its grounded honesty. Rather than romanticizing hardship or leaning on easy tropes, the film appears committed to portraying the complex realities of Ghanaian youth their resilience, contradictions, ambitions, and quiet solidarities.