Locarno Pro 2024: Industry Winners Announced

12 August 2024 | Source
Locarno Pro, the industry platform of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, has announced the winners for 2024, focusing on Spanish cinema in its First Look section. Notable winners include "Dream of Another Summer" by Irene Bartolomé and "Río abajo, un tigre" by Víctor Diago. The event also awarded prizes in the Alliance 4 Development program and the Heritage Restoration Contest, where Liliana Cavani's "I cannibali" was selected for restoration.

The 2024 edition of Locarno Pro, the industry arm of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, has unveiled the winners of its key initiatives: the First Look work-in-progress section, the Alliance 4 Development co-development program, and the Heritage Restoration Contest. This year's awards highlighted Spanish cinema, as well as collaborative European projects and film restoration efforts.

First Look Awards: Focus on Spain

The First Look section, which this year spotlighted Spanish cinema, saw six upcoming titles presented to industry professionals. "Dream of Another Summer" by Irene Bartolomé emerged as a standout, winning the Antaviana Films First Look Award. This accolade includes up to €50,000 in post-production services, further supporting the project’s journey to completion. The jury praised the film for its poetic approach to collective trauma, offering a complex portrayal of a city scarred by history.

Another major winner was "Río abajo, un tigre" by Víctor Diago, which received both the Music Library & SFX/Acorde Award worth €45,000 in music supervision services and the Laserfilm cine y vídeo Award, providing €5,000 for post-production needs. The international poster design award, sponsored by Jannuzzi Smith and valued at €10,000, went to "Mares" by Ariadna Seuba. Additionally, "Bodegón con fantasmas" by Enrique Buleo won the Le Film Français Award, securing €5,600 worth of advertising space.

The First Look awards were determined by an esteemed jury comprising Beatrice Fiorentino, Artistic Director of Venice's International Film Critics’ Week, Kerem Ayan, Director of the Istanbul Film Festival, and Mercedes Martínez-Abarca, Programmer at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Alliance 4 Development: European Collaboration

The Alliance 4 Development program, designed to support projects from Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, concluded with several notable awards. "Bourgeois Paranoia" by Lukas Nathrath, produced by Linus Günther, received the Alphapanda Market Breakout Award, offering consultancy services valued at €3,500. The Script Consultancy Residency at DreamAgo, provided by the Valais Film Commission, was awarded to "6 Mois 6 jours" (6 Months 6 Days) by Michale Boganim. Additionally, "La Fin de l’été" (Atlantic Mirage) by Hakim Mao won the MIDPOINT Consulting Award, and "Itaca" (Ithaca) by Alessandro Grande received the Ticino Film Commission Residence Award.

Heritage Restoration Contest: A Classic Revived

The Heritage Restoration Contest, in its second year, awarded Liliana Cavani's 1969 film "I cannibali" (The Year of the Cannibals) a full restoration. The jury, composed of Ido Abram, Nicole T. Allemann, and K.J. Relth-Miller, selected the film for its continued relevance and provocative themes, ensuring that new audiences will be able to experience this classic work.

The restored version of "I cannibali" is set to premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in 2025, marking a significant moment for the preservation of cinematic history.

Winners List

First Look Awards

  • Antaviana Films First Look Award: "Dream of Another Summer" / Irene Bartolomé / Spain / €50,000 in post-production services.
  • Music Library & SFX/Acorde Award: "Río abajo, un tigre" / Víctor Diago / Spain / €45,000 in music supervision services.
  • Laserfilm cine y vídeo Award: "Río abajo, un tigre" / Víctor Diago / Spain / €5,000 in post-production services.
  • Jannuzzi Smith Award: "Mares" / Ariadna Seuba / Spain / €10,000 for international poster design.
  • Le Film Français Award: "Bodegón con fantasmas" / Enrique Buleo / Spain / €5,600 in advertising space.

Alliance 4 Development Awards

  • Alphapanda Market Breakout Award: "Bourgeois Paranoia" / Lukas Nathrath / Germany / €3,500 in consultancy services.
  • Script Consultancy Residency: "6 Mois 6 jours" (6 Months 6 Days) / Michale Boganim / France-Germany.
  • MIDPOINT Consulting Award: "La Fin de l’été" (Atlantic Mirage) / Hakim Mao / France.
  • Ticino Film Commission Residence Award: "Itaca" (Ithaca) / Alessandro Grande / Italy.

Heritage Restoration Contest

  • Heritage Restoration Award: "I cannibali" (The Year of the Cannibals, 1969) / Liliana Cavani / Italy / Full restoration by Cinegrell.
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