News  ·  01 | 03 | 2023

Locarno Residency: Applications are Open for its Second Edition

The training initiative with online and in-person sessions guiding young talents in developing their first feature film is back. Selected projects will be presented during the 76th edition of the Festival.

© Locarno Film Festival / Sara Bellicini

While the first cycle of the Residency is leading three emerging filmmakers to the in-depth writing of their films, the Locarno Film Festival is ready to launch the initiative’s second edition with the support of Swiss Life. This accompaniment in making first features is how the Festival aims to expand its support of young cinematic promises, offering the unique chance to make the jump to feature length with tutoring sessions and valuable moments of exchange and discussion.

As part of Locarno76, the artistic team will choose ten projects from all the submissions based on the candidates’ story pitches and career paths. In August, the ten selected applicants will discuss their ideas with a jury of three film professionals, who will eventually choose two international pitches and one from Switzerland. This will lead into the second phase, the tutoring, split between Venice, in the prestigious Palazzo Trevisan degli Ulivi, in partnership with the Swiss Consulate, and Locarno, at Fondazione Eranos, a place of peace and reflection where the screenwriting will take place, with tutors and feedback from the Locarno Film Festival’s artistic team. During the final phase, at Locarno77, the projects will be presented to industry professionals, with the possibility of winning awards that will promote their completion. Applications are open for people under 40, of all nationalities, who are tackling the transition to a new format, longer than 60 minutes, for the first time. You can sign up via this link, until March 31.

Submission fee
  • 20 CHF until March 20
  • 30 CHF from March 21 until the end of the month

Information about the regulation and the direct link to the entry form can be found at this link.

The Locarno Residency is made possible thanks to the support of Swiss Life, which as Sponsor of the Locarno Film Festival and longstanding partner of the short films section Pardi di domani, contributes to developing the careers of young talents making the jump from the short to full-length format.

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