Projects

Match Me!

A networking platform for upcoming producers

An informal networking platform for young producers with distinct focus and strong visions since 2015.

© Locarno Film Festival / Samuel Golay

Match Me! provides an informal networking platform for new and upcoming production companies with distinct focus and strong visions.

In 2022, Match Me! welcomed 32 emerging producers coming from all over the world: Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, The Philippines, Spain, Taiwan and United Kingdom.

As with every year since 2015, Match Me! confirmed itself once again as the networking platform through which producers can find their bearings in the industry. The program stemmed from a simple idea: what, if not the professional network, can enrich a producer’s work?

Match Me! accompany the selected producers by expanding the horizons of their collaborations, relations and partnerships: an essential step for those wishing to understand how to move within the exciting universe of international (co)production.

Confirming the strength of this essential process, the first net to join the project was Locarno Pro, who built up Match Me! 2022 with several priceless partners: British Film Institute, Dominican Republic Film Commission (DGCINE), Estonian Film Institute, Film Development Council of the Philippines, Istituto Luce Cinecittà - FilmItalia, Lithuanian Film Centre, National Film Centre of Latvia, Polish Film Institute, ICA Portugal, ICAA Spain, Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) and Unifrance.

Match Me! 2022 took place on August 5-7 through individual meetings and tailor-made networking activities with potential business partners, with the aim to strengthen relationships and mutual interests, find potential co-producers and consolidate the producers’ international visibility.

Match Maker: Ayumi Filippone; ayumi.filippone@locarnofestival.ch

Match Me! 2022 Official Selection

Leticia Brea

Menos es Más Producciones, Dominican Republic

Alexandra Santana

Minervas Producciones, Dominican Republic

Andreas Kask

Nafta Films, Estonia

Tōnu Hiielaid

Tallifornia, Estonia

Thomas Hakim

petit chaos, France

Elsa Klughertz

Jonas Films, France

Charlotte Vande Vyvre

Balade Sauvage, France

Francesca Delise

Illmatic Film Group, Italy

Luca Marino

Indaco Film, Italy

Raffaella Pontarelli

Amarena Film, Italy

Dominiks Jarmakovičs

Studio Locomotive, Latvia

Alise Rogule

Mima Films, Latvia

Rūta Jekentaitė

Baltic Productions, Lithuania

Rūta Petronytė

Kreatūra, Lithuania

Kuba Kosma

Serce, Poland

Marta Lewandowska

Friends with Benefits Studio, Poland

David Szurmiej

Studio Agart, Poland

Justin Amorim

Promenade, Portugal

Daniel Pereira

The Stone and The Plot, Portugal

Mafalda Rebelo

Cimbalino Filmes, Portugal

Nati Escobar Gutiérrez

Galápagos Media, Spain

Raquel Pedreira

almaina producciones, Spain

Carmen Pérez

Du Cardelin Studio, Spain

Celine Kao

Original Films, Taiwan

Shee Heng Kuek

Aview Images, Taiwan

Alice You

Flash Forward Entertainment, Taiwan

April Batican

Epicmedia Productions, The Philippines

Sari Dalena

Kino Arts, The Philippines

Geo Lomuntad

Project 8 Projects, The Philippines

Sorcha Bacon

Try Hard Films, United Kingdom

Fawzia Mahmood

NW Pictures, United Kingdom

Zadoc Nava

Stray Dog Films, United Kingdom

In the past years, Match Me! welcomed producers from all over the world, thanks to partnerships with institutions such as Cinema do Brasil,  Cinema Chile,  Estonian Film  Institute,  Istituto  Luce  Cinecittà  -  Filmitalia, Latvian Film Centre,  Lithuanian Film Centre, Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE), Polish Film Institute, ICA Portugal, ICAA Spain,  Proimágenes  Colombia,  Singapore Film Commission, Israel  Film  Center, SWISS FILMS and more.  

Check out the success stories and past editions

Among others, one of the previous Match Me! selected producers was Pedro Duarte (Primeira Idade, Portugal), who was working on the project The Metamorphosis of Birds  by Catarina Vasconcelos, which has already won 15 international awards, like the Berlinale Fipresci Award 2020.

A Metamorfose dos pássaros | Trailer | Berlinale Encounters 2020

Another partecipant was Paola Wink (Tokyo Filmes - Vulcana Cinema, Brazil), who produced Rifle by Davi Pretto (Brazil / Germany), selected a  Berlinale Forum 2016, and Casa no Campo by Davi Pretto, presented at Berlinale Coproduction Market 2020.

Rifle, by Davi Pretto

Tan Si En (Momo Film Co, Singapore), another participant, was selected at the Berlinale Talents 2020, whereas Alessandro Amato (dispàrte, Italy) was working on Hogar  (Maternal) project, a Locarno 72's Concorso Internazionale contender, during Match Me! 2017. Alessandro has also been selected as Berlinale Talent alumni 2020. 

Maternal, by Maura Delpero

Giovanni Pompili took part in Match Me! in 2017 with Sole, by Carlo Sironi. Sole grew during the Locarno days and went on to premiere in Venice and screen in Toronto and Berlin, and then it won the European Discovery prize at the 2020 EFA ceremony.
That Pompili's story climaxed in February 2022 with the victory of Golden Bear. Pompili, via his company Kino Produzioni, is one of the producers of Carla Simón’s Alcarràs, the winner of Berlinale 2022. Read the story!

Sole, by Carlo Sironi

Marta Gmosińska (Lava Films, Poland), Match Me! 2018 with Never Gonna Snow Again by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert, which competed at the 2020 Venice Film Festival and was chosen to represent Poland at the 2021 Oscars; and Mila by Christos Nikou, which played in Orizzonti at the 2020 Venice Film Festival

Never Gonna Snow Again, by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert

Past editions

Match Me! 2021

24 producers from all over the world, but with a shared destination: Locarno. They’re arriving from Estonia, Great Britain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, the Philippines and Spain.

Match Me! 2019

Alina Mazzarella, Estudio Giz, Brazil

Andre Mielnik, If You Hold a Stone, Brazil

Daniel Pech, Multiverso Produções, Brazil

Maario Masing, Kinosaurus Films, Estonia

Elina Litvinova, Three Brothers, Estonia

Joana Domingues, Caracol Protagonista, Portugal

Pedro Duarte Primeira Idade, Portugal

Vasco Esteves, Fado Filmes, Portugal

Simona Pelliccioli, Dandy PR, Italy

Antonella di Nocera, Parallello 41 prod, Italy

Daniele Segre, Redibis Film, Italy

Kristians Alhimionoks, Plataforma Filma, Latvia

Marta Romānova – Jēkabsone, Film Studio Devini, Latvia

HUANG Junxiang, Zhao Wei Films, Singapore

Si en TAN, Momo Film, Singapore

Ling TIONG, Aand Company, Singapore

Gabriela Gavica, Mandarina Cine, Mexico

Jorge Ramire Varela, Stereosonique, Mexico

Daniela Contreras, Terra Nostra Films, Mexico

Magdalena Sztorc, Before My Eyes, Poland

Rafal Sakowski, Iris Media, Poland

Natalia Grzegorzek, Koskino, Poland

Daniel Mendez, Mano Negra Films, Spain

Patricia Franquisa Ruiz, Gadea Films, Spain

Mayi Gutierrez, Tourmalet Films, Spain

Match Me! 2018

Ticiana Lima, Tardo Filmes, Brazil

Deborah Osborn, BigBonsai, Brazil

Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro, Ausgang, Brazil

Evelin Penttilä Stellar Film, Estonia

Kristjan Pütsep, Alasti Kino, Estonia

Tammy Cohen , Independent Producer, Israel

Yoav Roeh, Gum Films, Israel

Oren Rogovin, Rogovin Brothers, Israel

Laura Andina, Fair Play Movies, Italy

Cinzia Bomoll, Amarcord Film, Italy

Jean Denis, Le Dinahet, b24 Film, Italy

Kristele Pudane, Tritone Studio, Latvia

Matiss Kaza, Deep Sea Studios, Latvia

Ieva Biliūnaitė, In Script, Lithuania

Medeina Birgilaitė, Artbox, Lithuania

Eva Ruiz de Chávez, Panamericana Pictures, Mexico

Andrea Toca, Un Beso Cine, Mexico

Carlos Sosa, Viento del Norte Cine, Mexico

Ewa Szwarc, Kosmos Production, Poland

Karolina Galuba, Furia Film, Poland

Malgorazata Malysa, Furia Film, Poland

Marta Gmosińska, Lava Films , Poland

Flavia Zanon, Close Up Productions, Switzerland

Olivier Zobrist, Lang Film, Switzerland

Tolga Dilsiz, 8 Horses, Switzerland

Match Me! 2017

Luana Melgaço, Anavilhana, Brazil

Fernando Sapelli, Claraluz Filmes, Brazil

Mathias Mangin, Igloo Films, Brazil

Alba Gaviraghi , Agosto Cine, Chile

Felipe Azúa, Avispa Cine, Chile

Catalina Donoso, Cusicanqui Films, Chile

Pablo Calisto Equeco, Chile

Pepe Rovano, Tototral Films & Media Lab, Chile

Elad Peleg, Daroma Productions, Israel

Naama Pyritz, Ingenue Production, Israel

Michael Rozenbaum, Transfax, Israel

Alessandro Amato, Dispàrte, Italy

Luigi Chimienti, Dispàrte, Italy

Giovanni Pompili, Kino Produzioni, Italy

Donatello Della Pepa, Revok, Italy

Alexander de Graaf, Marsupial Media, Mexico

Michael Rowe Marsupial Media, Mexico

Paulina Valencia, Spécola, Mexico

Pablo Zimbrón Alva, Varios Lobos / Malacosa Cine, Mexico

Dominika Osas, Badi Badi, Poland

Izabela Igel, Harine Films, Poland

Maria Krauss, Plesnar & Krauss Films, Poland

Match Me! 2016

Jessica Luz, Besouro Filmes, Brazil

Marta Biavaschi,Besouro Filmes, Brazil

Denis Feijão, Elixir Entretenimento, Brazil

Rafael Sampaio, Klaxon, Brazil

Gisela Camara, Tacacá Filmes, Brazil

Augusto Matte, Jirafa, Chile

Isabel Orellana, Aracauria Cine, Chile

Macarena Lopez,Manufactura de Peliculas, Chile

Yennifer Fasciani, Niebla Producciones, Chile

Keren Michael, Dori Media Paran, Israel

Adar Shafran, Firma Film, Israel

Orit Lerner Halevi, ImpactIsrael

Baher gbariye, Majdal Films, Israel

Socorro Mendez Diaz, Cinemagico Producciones, Mexico

Mariana Monroy, Animal Tropical Cine, Mexico

Valeria Arinez, Anomia Contenidos, Mexico

Emilio Santoyo, Anomia Contenidos, Mexico

Can Kilcioglu, DeliCe Film, Turkey

Emre Oskay, Istanbul Film Production, Turkey

Andac Haznedaroglu Istanbul Film Production, Turkey

Muge Ozen, Solis Film, Turkey

Nathalie Sejean, Solis Film, Turkey

Match Me! 2015

Tatiana Leite, Bubbles Project, Brazil

Gustavo Rosa de Moura, Mira Filmes Brazil

Aleteia Selonk, Okna Produ, Brazil

Graziella Ferst , Okna Produ, Brazil

Paola Wink, Tokyo Filmes, Brazil

Isabel Orellana Guarello, Araucaria Cine, Chile

Constanza Arena, CinemaChile,Chile

Daniela Camino, Valdivia Mimbre Producciones, Chile

Juan Ignacio Sabatini, Villano, Chile

Maria Camila Arias, Antorcha Films, Colombia

Alfonso Acosta, Cabecitanegra Producciones, Colombia

Oscar Ruiz Navia, Contravia Films, Colombia

Nestor Oliveros, Ghia Producciones, Colombia

Alexandro Aldrete, Agencia Bengala, Mexico

Joaquin Del Paso, Amondo Films, Mexico

Santiago De la Paz Nicolau, Nomadas, Mexico

Partners

Locarno Pro Projects

Open Doors

Open Doors explores cinema in Southeast Asia and Mongolia via a co-production platform, a producers’ Lab and a non-competitive screening section taking place in August, plus year-round activities including Consultancy services and a knowledge-sharing platform (ToolBox).

StepIn

An interdisciplinary online think tank in three sessions dedicated to film professionals, each session focused on a branch of the industry, to discuss the current landscape and how we can implement new behaviors, practices and business strategies. In partnership with Variety.

First Look

Locarno’s Work in Progress section, aiming to showcase films in post-production stage from a different territory in focus, every year.

Match Me!

An informal networking platform reserved to new and upcoming producers.

U30

It’s never too early to join film industry! Discover Locarno Pro initiative for under 30 years old, a platform giving voice to the new generation of film professionals from all over the world.

Heritage Online

Locarno Pro’s digitally based service, extending the outreach and distribution of heritage films through streaming services.

Alliance 4 Development

Alliance for Development’s concrete aim is to encourage early stage co-development and long-term organic cooperation between Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland.