LOCARNO 2024 Locarno Pro / Premi
Open Doors di Locarno annuncia un nuovo focus sull'Africa e incorona Salvación e El único tiempo come i grandi vincitori
- Tra gli altri vincitori figurano Her Lightness di Rosa María Rodríguez, Huaco retrato di Fernando Luis Mendoza Salazar e UFOs in the Tropic di Rob Mendoza
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Open Doors, Locarno Pro’s co-production and talent development programme for underrepresented filmmakers from Latin America and the Caribbean countries, has announced the winners of its 2024 edition. This year, eight projects in development were selected for the sidebar’s co-production platform, the Projects Hub (see the report), and were eligible for the main cash prizes.
The four Open Doors grants, sponsored by visions sud est and the City of Bellinzona, were bestowed upon four projects. The largest bursaries (worth 20,000 CHF, or €21,110, each) were handed to Ernesto Bautista’s Salvación (El Salvador) and Paz Encina’s El único tiempo (Paraguay/Mexico/Germany). Bautista’s work also scooped the BR Lab Award (guaranteeing the project’s participation in the development workshop unfolding in São Paulo in October, with travel and accommodation covered), whilst Encina’s one scooped two more prizes – the ARTEKino International Award (worth €6,000) and the Sørfond Award (granting travel and accommodation to participate in the pitching event unspooling in November).
Rosa María Rodríguez’s Her Lightness (Cuba/Mexico/Colombia) and Fernando Luis Mendoza Salazar’s Huaco retrato (Peru) received the two smaller grants, worth 5,000 CHF (€5,280) each. Finally, Rob Mendoza’s UFOs in the Tropic (Ecuador) nabbed the CNC Development Grant (worth €8,000).
The 2024 Projects Hub jury was made up of Lasse Skagen, Rémi Burah, Sophie Loyrette, Meret Ruggle and Madeline Robert. Today’s awards ceremony brought the Swiss festival’s focus on Latin America and the Caribbean to a close. Yesterday, on the Piazza Grande, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) rep Patricia Danzi announced that the programme would focus on the African continent for the gathering’s next four editions.
“The African continent is one of SDC’s focus regions for international cooperation, and for the next four years, we will continue to develop synergies between the SDC programmes and Locarno’s Open Doors. Arts and culture are drivers of social change and creativity, and contribute to social cohesion and peace. Hence, they are indispensable for societal progress,” Danzi explained.
Head of Open Doors Zsuzsi Bánkuti added: “After three successful years of focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, we’re excited to announce that our attention will now shift to the African continent for the next four years. This transition is not just about changing our focus, but also about expanding our work. We plan to foster strong collaborations between Latin America, the Caribbean and the African continent, ensuring that the connections of the previous years continue while we also form new ones. Building on this year’s focus on collaborative efforts, our goal is to create a connected and thriving network that benefits all regions.”
More details on the new focus region will be announced by Open Doors this autumn. Meanwhile, the Open Doors screenings will continue until Saturday 17 August.
Here is the list of this year’s award winners:
Open Doors grants
Salvación – Ernesto Bautista (El Salvador)
Producer: Melissa Guevara – Burn and Die Films
El único tiempo – Paz Encina (Paraguay/Mexico/Germany)
Producers: Gabriela Sabaté – Sabaté Films, Julio Chavezmontes – Piano, Black Forest Films
Her Lightness – Rosa María Rodriguez (Cuba/Mexico/Colombia)
Producers: Armando Capó Ramos – GatoRosafilms, Martha Orozco – Martfilms, Cristina Gallego – Ciudad Lunar
Huaco retrato – Fernando Luis Mendoza Salazar (Peru)
Producer: Silvia Eisleen Arellano Rojas – Cybermuchik Cine
CNC Development Grant
UFOs in the Tropic – Rob Mendoza (Ecuador)
Producer: Isabel Carrasco – Cinema Verano
ARTEKino International Award
El único tiempo – Paz Encina
Sørfond Award
El único tiempo – Paz Encina
Tabakalera-San Sebastián Film Festival Residency Award
Luis Flores Alvarenga – Thau Honduras (Honduras)
Open Doors – BR Lab Award
Salvación – Ernesto Bautista
Open Doors - Moulin d’Andé-CECI Award
Rob Mendoza – UFOs in the Tropic
Rotterdam Lab Award
Yamila Marrero – CRISÁLIDA Producciones (Cuba)
Open Doors – World Cinema Fund Audience Strategy Award
Huaco retrato – Fernando Luis Mendoza Salazar
Open Doors – OIF – ACP – EU Award
Un funeral para Lola – Iván de Lara (Dominican Republic)
Producer: José María Pimentel – Mostly Productions
(Tradotto dall'inglese)
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