©Locarno Film Festival/Ti-Press
The international First Look jury, comprised of Ava Cahen (Artistic Director, La Semaine de la Critique Cannes), Gaia Furrer (Artistic Director, Giornate degli Autori) and Eugene Hernandez (Festival Director, Sundance Institute) gave the Creativity Media First Look Award, which covers services towards the completion of films in post-production up to the value of €50’000, to Mother Vera by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson, produced by Laura Shacham (She Makes Productions). No Ifs Or Buts by Sarah Lewis, produced by Sarah Lewis (Felt Culture), co-produced by DoBeDo received both the Jannuzzi Smith Award - worth €8’500 for the design of an international poster - and the award by leading industry magazine Le Film Français, which consists of advertising space to a value of €5’600.
From August 4 to 6, the 12th edition of First Look presented six UK works-in-progress to an audience of sales agents, buyers, programmers and representatives from post-production support funds, thanks to a partnership with British Film Institute (BFI), using funds from the National Lottery.
The three-day co-development platform Alliance 4 Development also came to a close on 6 August, with Pas Ta Maman by Michèle Flury, produced by Felix Schreiber from Sommerhaus Filmproduktion receiving the Alphapanda Market Breakout Award, consisting in consultancy services in the value of 3'500 €; La P’tite (The Young One) directed by Despina Athanassiadis, produced by Quentin Daniel (Wombat Films, France) won a script consultancy residency at DreamAgo, offered by the Valais Film Commission, worth 5’000 CHF; the MIDPOINT Consulting Award for an in-depth online script consultancy with one of the MIDPOINT Institute experts went to WHO/MAN directed by Lorenz Merz, produced by Michela Pini (8horses, Switzerland); and Objet a by Ann Oren, produced by Kristof Gerega, Sophie Ahrens and Fabian Altenried (Schuldenberg Films, Germany) got the Ticino Film Commission Residence Award, consisting of a 2-day location scout (worth 4’000 CHF) and Letter of Intent (LOI) for financial support for the production company (worth up to 12’000 CHF), if all or part of the film will be shot in Ticino (Switzerland).
Mulher de verdade (1954) by Brazilian director Alberto Cavalcanti won the first ever Heritage Online Restoration Contest of the Locarno Film Festival. The film will enter a restoration process, offered by Zurich and Berlin based company Cinegrell, which will start right after the 76th Locarno Film Festival wraps and will end in the first semester of 2024. The restored film will then premiere at the next edition of the Festival in the Histoire(s) du cinéma: Heritage Online section.
Following an open call which lead to close to 30 submissions from 15 different countries, a jury composed of international film industry experts Paula Astorga (Locarno Open Doors Producers’ Lab Head of Studies), Frédéric Maire (Director at Cinémathèque Suisse), and K.J. Relth-Miller (Interim Director, Film Programs at Academy Museum) emphasized the relevance of the director in the LatAm and global cinematic heritage:
“With this award we want to underline Alberto Cavalcanti’s importance and creative vision that shaped Brazilian filmmaking, leaving a lasting impact on the country’s cinematic heritage. We hope that the film will be rediscovered and widely diffused after Locarno77.”
Creativity Media First Look Award
Mother Vera by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson, produced by Laura Shacham (She Makes Productions)
The Jury: “From the opening moments of this film, we were immediately drawn to the strikingly photographed stark portrait of a fascinating nun in Belarus who makes a journey to France. We congratulate filmmakers Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson and wish them the best with this new film, Mother Vera.”
Jannuzzi Smith Award
No Ifs Or Buts by Sarah Lewis, produced by Sarah Lewis (Felt Culture), co-produced by DoBeDo
Le Film Français Award
No Ifs Or Buts by Sarah Lewis, produced by Sarah Lewis (Felt Culture), co-produced by DoBeDo
Alphapanda Market Breakout Award
Pas Ta Maman by Michèle Flury, produced by Felix Schreiber from Sommerhaus Filmproduktion
Jury statement: “The Alphapanda Market Breakout Award goes to a film that will certainly move audiences just like it has moved us, a brutal yet playful tale, that uses contrasting genres to explore a current and important topic, abuse against women and what it means to be sexualised, victimised, and to fight back. We were very touched by the pitch and can’t wait to see this film on a big screen.”
Script consultancy residency at DreamAgo, offered by the Valais Film Commission
La P’tite (The Young One) directed by Despina Athanassiadis, produced by Quentin Daniel (Wombat Films, France)
MIDPOINT Consulting Award
WHO/MAN directed by Lorenz Merz, produced by Michela Pini (8horses, Switzerland)
Ticino Film Commission Residence Award
Objet a by Ann Oren, produced by Kristof Gerega, Sophie Ahrens and Fabian Altenried (Schuldenberg Films, Germany)
Mulher de verdade (1954) by Alberto Cavalcanti
Alliance 4 Development is possible thanks to partnerships with CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée), France; FFA (Filmförderungsanstalt), Germany; DGCA-MiC (Direzione Generale Cinema e Audiovisivo del Ministero della Cultura), Italy; ÖFI (Österreichisches Filminstitut), Austria; the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) / MEDIA Desk Suisse, Switzerland. A4D is also made possible by contributions from Eurimages, which promotes and sponsors one of the initiative's networking events, and from the European Producers Club, which offers consultancy on the various issues covered.
The Heritage Online Restoration Contest is a yearly open call for applications for international classic and library films in need of complete or partial restoration. The Restoration Contest, launched for the first time in 2023, was open to feature films from all over the world that premiered in 2009 or before. This contest is possible thanks to a collaboration with Cinegrell, the winning film of the Heritage Online contest will then be the recipient of a complete, world-class restoration service. Submissions for the next edition of the context will open February 2024.
Locarno Pro is possible thanks to the support of the Federal Office of Culture / MEDIA Desk Suisse.
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