Road to Locarno Pro 2023: how to...

© Locarno Film Festival

From August 3 to 9, Locarno Pro will once again welcome film professionals from around the globe during the Festival’s 76th edition as the landmark event for the industry takes a deep dive into the question of what independent cinema is today. From networking events, pitching forums, market activities for emerging film professionals, industry lunches and screenings, Locarno Pro will offer a wide range of activities, both on-site and online through the exclusive Locarno Pro Reserved Area.

This year Locarno Pro offers:

•  Meetings and Networking

Meet new partners and old friends and discover tomorrow’s talents and their projects in development at one of the networking opportunities Locarno Pro has to offer:
 
Match Me!
Alliance 4 Development
Open Doors: Projects’ Hub & Directors’ Club

And mark your calendars: from August 4 to 6, from 6.30 to 8pm, the daily Locarno Pro Meet & Greet takes place at the Davide Campari Lounge right behind the Piazza Grande screen.
 

• Talks & Discussions

Locarno Pro is also a place for talks and presentations. This year’s program includes a masterclass by producer Ted Hope (Dark Horse, The Ice Storm); a panel discussion on how to finance award winning projects starring producers Tatiana Leite (Bubbles Project, Regra34, winner Pardo D’Oro 2022) and Maren Olson (30West, Triangle of Sadness, winner Palme D’Or 2022), Marianne Slot (Slot Machine, Dancer in the Dark, Palme D’Or 2000), among others; three keynote speeches on the independent film industry today by Arianna Bocco (EverGreen Consulting), Agnieszka Moody (British Film institute) and Mariette Rissenbeek (Berlinale), open for everyone with an Industry or Press accreditation; and a participative talk on the theme of Identity/Identities organized by Open Doors in collaboration with BaseCamp.

Check out all Talks & Discussions
 

• Workshops and consulting

At Locarno Pro you can develop your projects and meet new business partners. Discover the selected participants of our initiatives: 

Alliance 4 Development
Industry Academy
Open Doors: Producers’ Lab
 

• Think Tanks

Reflections and in-depth analysis are key to Locarno Pro’ s activities. This year with StepIn we will especially reflect upon the status of independent cinema and focus on some of the most relevant issues that the indie film industry is now facing. From theatrical distribution to how to protect the biodiversity of content and voices in the production ecosystem, from behind-the-scenes of a film festival – between commercial and financial components, operations, and cultural policy to where we really are in terms of gender equality right now. During U30 the new generation of film professionals will take center stage. 

StepIn
U30
 

• Screenings

Locarno Pro is all about discovering new films. Accredited professionals will have the chance to check out the work-in-progress section First Look (with a focus on UK films in collaboration with the British Film Institute, BFI, this year) and watch films from the official selection during the Industry & Press Screenings (August 3 to 7). The Open Doors Screenings will champion features, mid-length films and shorts from South America.

Industry Screenings
Press Screenings
First Look
Open Doors Screenings
 

• Heritage Monday - NEW!

On August 7th, during the very first edition of Heritage Monday, Locarno Pro will focus on the classics. Newly restored films ready to hit the market again will be shown, including the recently restored La Porte du soleil (2004) by Yousry Nasrallah and Si le soleil ne revenait pas by Claude Goretta (1987), Milano calibro 9 (Caliber 9, 1972) by Fernando di Leo represented by Minerva Pictures, Patricia Rozema’s White Room (1990) and Wszystko moze sie przytrafic (Anything Can Happen, 1995) by Marcel Lozinski. Film critic, historian and artistic director of the Pordenone Silent Film Festival Jay Weissberg will moderate a talk on two of these films as well as a panel on the theatrical distribution and streaming of classics.
 

• Online activities

Apart from the Heritage Online and Open Doors ToolBox serving film professionals 365 days a year, Locarno Pro also offers an exclusive online environment, where accredited professionals can connect with each other and Locarno Pro’s contents:

Locarno Pro Reserved Area
Heritage Online
Open Doors Consultancy
Open Doors Toolbox
 

• Access

Find out how to experience Locarno76 with an Industry Accreditation.
 

• Services

Locarno Pro offers a range of services to make your festival visit run smoothly. For example, a network of Locarno Pro Shuttles will make sure you can easily travel between the Industry Lounge, Cinema Rialto where the Industry Screenings take place, and the Locarno Pro Center at Hotel Belvedere. 

Attending Locarno Pro with your kids? Locarno Kids La Mobiliare welcomes the youngest guests and allows parents to enjoy the Festival and Locarno Pro activities. 
 

• Accessibility

If you require any assistance, please get in touch with accessibility@locarnofestival.ch.  
 

• Social Media

Don’t forget to follow Locarno Pro and Open Doors on Instagram and tag your related content with #LocarnoPro.

Or join our LinkedIn Group to share your insights and experiences and build valuable connections.