09/08/2016 - LOCARNO 2016: Polish project Birds Are Singing in Kigali won the main prize in the festival’s First Look section for films in post-production

The sixth edition of First Look – the Locarno Film Festival initiative aiming to showcase films in post-production – has presented six Polish films. Each one was introduced by its producer to various world sales agents and festival programmers attending the Industry Days.

The jury for First Look 2016, comprising Kerem Ayan (Istanbul International Film Festival), Cameron Bailey (Toronto International Film Festival) and Bero Beyer (International Film Festival Rotterdam) handed out the First Look Awards. Birds Are Singing in Kigali by Joanna Kos-Krauze and Krzysztof Krauze (Papusza [+see also:
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interview: Joanna Kos Krauze
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In the meantime, the winners of the co-production platform Open Doors Hub have also been announced. The 2016 edition has seen the launch of a three-year cycle that Open Doors will devote to eight countries in southern Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Open Doors Hub aims to bring together the project-holders (director/producer) from the eight countries with potential partners, encouraging international collaborations and financing.

The Open Doors jury has decided to award the following prizes to some of these projects to support production or development: an Open Doors Production Grant (CHF 30,000) to Day After Tomorrow by Kamar Ahmad Simon (Bangladesh) and an Open Doors Production Grant (CHF 20,000) to The Red Phallus [+see also:
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film profile] by Tashi Gyeltshen (Bhutan). The CNC Prize (€8,000) was awarded to Season of Dragonflies by Abinash Bikram Shah (Nepal) and the ARTE International Open Doors Prize (€6,000) was bestowed upon Day After Tomorrow by Kamar Ahmad Simon.