Locarno’s Work in Progress section, aiming to showcase films in post-production stage from a different territory in focus, every year.
The Little Comrade
First Look is the work in progress section of Locarno Film Festival, taking place during the Locarno Pro Days and selecting 5 to 7 films in post-production stage from a different focus country every year.
Since 2012, First Look was launchpad for new productions from Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Israel, Poland, Baltic Countries, Portugal and Serbia. By attending this section, you’ll have the opportunity to show your work in progress to international industry key players attending Locarno Pro, and to compete for three awards.
A jury composed of international festival directors and programmers decides every year the First Look Awards, bringing finalization services for a film in post-production worth €65,000, the Le Film Français award, consisting of advertising services worth €5’600 and the prize worth €5,000 for the designing of the international key art poster.
In past years, the First Look jury has been honored with the presence of Christian Jeune (Director of Film Dep. - Deputy General Delegate, Festival de Cannes), Janet Pierson (Director SXSW Film), Cameron Bailey (Artistic Director and co-head of TIFF), John Cooper (former Sundance Film Festival director) and Eva Sangiorgi (Viennale Director), among others.
First Look Ceremony 2019
Several films selected at First Look have become international successes, such as Sand Storm by Elite Zexer (Israel, 2015); The Second Mother by Anna Muylaert (Brazil, 2014); To Kill a Man by Alejandro Fernandez Almendras (Chile, 2013), Landscapes of Resistance by Marta Popidova (Serbia, 2019).
