Locarno Repositions Itself as Forward-Thinking Filmmakers’ Hub via variety
, long known as a global indie cinema temple, is looking to the future while repositioning itself as a forward-thinking hub for a wider range of movies, including studio and streamer titles, with broad audience appeal.
“The philosophy is to provide a wide range of films that are all hugely entertaining, while not eschewing larger issues,” adds Nazzaro. He cites films such as U.S. director Olivia Newman’s “Where the Crawdads Sing,” which “is basically about how a woman can self-determine her fate”; French director Blandine Lenoir’s “Angry Annie,” which harkens back to the times when abortion was illegal in France and is particularly timely in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the U.S.
“Locarno is a place of discovery not just for films, but for talents,” says Markus Duffner, who heads the fest’s industry side, Locarno Pro.
Killer Films chief Christine Vachon will hold a masterclass, as will Neon’s head of distribution Elissa Federoff, who will be talking about how to release original language films in the U.S. And producer Jason Blum, known for shepherding hit horror franchises such as “Paranormal Activity” and more recently the films “Whiplash,” “Get Out” and Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” will be honored with Locarno’s Raimondo Rezzonico Prize for a producer who epitomizes the indie ethos.