Alliance 4 Development: Future-proof market potential and networking for early stage projects

A co-development program for film projects from Austria, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. Our aim is to support emerging filmmakers bring their projects to life and help foster long-term creative and business ties between the countries.

The completed projects have collected several success stories, among which:

• Music by Angela Schanelec and L’Amour du Monde by Jenna Hasse - Berlinale 2023
• Chicken for Linda by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach - Cannes ACID, Annecy FF and Piazza Grande Pre-festival Screening 2023
• Continental Drift by Lionel Baier - Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, Cannes 2022)
• Semret by Caterina Mona - World Premiere in Piazza Grande at Locarno75 in 2022
• Dopo la guerra (Après la guerre) by Annarita Zambrano - Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2017
• L’ospite by Duccio Chiarini - world premiere at Locarno's Piazza Grande in 2017

First Look: Locarno's work-in-progress section

Our work in progress section, showcasing films in any post-production stage from a different territory, every year. Now in it’s 13th edition, it has been a critical launchpad for new productions from Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Israel, Poland, Baltic Countries, Portugal, Serbia, Switzerland, Germany and the UK.

Several films selected at First Look have become international successes, such as:

• The Second  Mother  by  Anna Muylaert (Brazil, 2014) - Sundance Film Festival (best actress award) and Berlinale Panorama 2015
• Sand Storm  by Elite Zexer (Israel, 2015) - selected at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Grand Jury Prize) and Berlinale Panorama 2016
• To Kill a Man  by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras (Chile, 2013) - Sundance Film Festival 2014 (Winner - World Documentary Award)
• Semret by Caterina Mona (Switzerland, 2021) - Premiere at Locarno Piazza Grande 2022
• De Noche Los Gatos son Pardos (Switzerland, 2021) - Premiere at Locarno International Competition 2022
• Letzter Abend (One Last Evening) by Lukas Nathrath (Germany 2023) - IFF Rotterdam, Tiger Competition 2023
• Life Is Not a Competition, But I’m Winning by Julia Fuhr Mann (Germany 2023) - VeniceFF - Settimana Internazionale della Critica 2023.

Heritage Online: Offering a new commercial life to lost cinema classics

Industry Academy: A professional career jumpstarter.

Match Me!: An informal networking platform for upcoming producers

A networking platform that has helped more than 200 upcoming producers expanding their international network. Through a taylor-made programme of one-to-one meetings, professional lunches and workshops, the selected producers deep dive into the full potential of international (co)production.

Some of the previous Match Me! selected producers, to name just a few:

• Tan Si En (Momo Film Co, Singapore), selected at the Berlinale Talents 2020 AND Dreaming and Dying by Nelson Yeo - Cineasti del Presente and Best First Feature Awards at Locarno 2023.
• Giovanni Pompili (Kino Produzioni, Italy)- Sole, by Carlo Sironi premiered in Venice, Toronto and Berlin, and won the European Discovery prize at the 2020 EFA ceremony; he co-produced Alcarràs by Carla Simón who won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale 2022; the same yeat he premiered Delta by Michele Vannucci in Piazza Grande at Locarno 2022 and The Beautiful Summer by Laura Luchetti - Piazza Grande at the Locarno FF 2023;
• Tatiana Leite (Bubbles Project, Brazil), won the Golden Leopard in Locarno 2022with Regra 34 by Julia Murat and together with Kino Produzioni, she co-produced Puán by Maria Alché e Benjamin Nashtat, which premiered at San Sebastian 2023 scooping best actor and best script.
• Pedro Duarte (Primeira Idade, Portugal) - The Metamorphosis of Birds  by Catarina Vasconcelos, won over 15 international awards, including the Berlinale Fipresci Award 2020. 
• Aline Mazzarella (Estúdio Giz, Brazil) - Sick, Sick, Sick by Alice Furtado premiered at the Quinzaine in Cannes FF, 2019; co-produced El Auge del Humano 3 by Teddy Williams which premiered in Locarno's International Competition 2023.
• Alessandro Amato (dispàrte, Italy) Hogar  (Maternal) - Locarno72's Concorso Internazionale and  Berlinale Talent alumni 2020. 

Completed films and festival selections (2023)

StepIn: Locarno's exclusive international think tank