At the Locarno Film Festival, celebrated Swiss filmmaker Ursula Meier became the first recipient of a new CHF 1 million grant from Suissimage, the Swiss authors’ rights collection society, which is targeted at helping female filmmakers. The award was announced at the inaugural breakfast of the Swiss Women’s Audiovisual Network (SWAN), where a programming pledge was signed by Locarno Film Festival president Marco Solari and vice-president Carla Speziali for parity and inclusion at film festivals, incorporating new commitments for equality in the industry. Meier represented SWAN as pledge godmother and a member of the SWAN Creative Council, alongside producer Pauline Gygax.

The award will be used to fund Meier’s next project, Quiet Land, a feature film set in Montana, USA, which will be the director’s first film in the English language. The buddy movie revolves around an ageing cop who photographs automobile accidents and teams up with a truculent woman in a desperate quest for justice. It is described as an American road movie that tells a cruel, dark and romantic tale. The story also pits an ageing, freedom-loving America against a younger, materialistic generation.

Quiet Land’s screenplay is being co-written by Meier and Michel Caulea. The producers are aiming to bring a US screenwriter on board to complete the script, and the cast is yet to be announced, with well-known Hollywood names being sought for the leading roles. Meier’s third film is being produced by Switzerland’s Bandita Films, France’s La Cinéfacture and US-based Animal Kingdom Films. Paris-based Memento Films International will handle the international sales.

Meier’s previous films include Home [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Thierry Spicher
intervista: Ursula Meier
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intervista: Ursula Meier
scheda film] as well as a segment in the portmanteau project The Bridges of Sarajevo [+leggi anche:
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scheda film]. She was recently president of the Caméra d’Or Jury, which awarded the trophy for the best first film at Cannes to Lucas Dhont for Girl [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Lukas Dhont
scheda film].