As one of the “A” category festivals, Locarno numbers among the leading film festivals in Switzerland. A diverse selection of works will be competing in the Concorso Internazionale, Cineasti del Presente and Pardi di Domani competitions. Claudia Rorarius will be taking part in the Cineasti del Presente section with her film TOUCHED (2Pilots Filmproduction, Soquiet Filmproduktion). As the title suggests, her film is a touching drama about a forbidden and unconventional love affair. The story explores the complexity of love amidst addictions. This section will also be presenting  OF LIVING WITHOUT ILLUSION (Katharina Lüdin Filmproduktion) by Katharina Lüdin. This drama also focuses on relationships - this time during a summer heatwave in the suburbs - with the emphasis here more about letting go and break-ups. Director Katharina Huber will be the third participant in this section with the  world premiere in Locarno of A GOOD PLACE (Acker Film). The drama centres on Margarita and Güte, who are dissatisfied with their current life situation and yet remain stuck in this position. A whole new set of hurdles emerge when they finally decide to make a change.

The German co-production STEPNE (Vrodastudio) by director Maryna Vroda has been invited to screen in the Concorso internazionale. Set in a post-Soviet society, the feature film tells the story of a mature man in Ukraine who returns home from the city to care for his dying mother. The second German co-production in this section is MANTAGHEYE BOHRANI (Counter Intuitive Film) by Ali Ahmadzadeh. This drama sees the viewer following the fate of Amir, a modern prophet who wants to heal disturbed souls in Tehran's underworld, but is mostly pumping himself with drugs to escape a city without a future.

It is also particularly pleasing that this time there are six short films with German participation in the competition sections in Locarno. VALLEY PRIDE by Lukas Marxt (s u n³b°u°r°s t FILM) is screening in the Concorso Corti D'Autore section. In the Concorso Internatzionale section are the short films DU BIST SO WUNDERBAR by Leandro Goddinho, Paulo Menezes, AS IF MOTHER CRIED THAT NIGHT by Hoda Taheri (DFFB), THE CURRENCY - SENSING 1 AGBOGBLOSHIE by Elom 20ce, Musquiqui Chihying, Gregor Kasper, SLIMANE by Carlos Pereira (DFFB) and A STUDY OF EMPATHY by Hilke Rönnfeldt (Frau Film). 

German Films will be cooperating with Locarno Pro this year as part of the "Match Me!" programme. "Match Me!" has been offering an informal networking platform for aspiring producers with distinct focus and strong visions since 2015 for them to better orient themselves in the industry. Together with German Films, producers Britta Strampe (Bandenfilm) Roxana Richters (Chromosom Film) and Lili Villanyi (Manderley Films) will have the opportunity to have individual meetings in Locarno to establish relationships with potential business partners, strengthen mutual interests and find potential co-productions.

German productions and co-productions in Locarno at a glance:

CONCORSO CINEASTI DEL PRESENTI
TOUCHED by Claudia Rorarius (2Pilots Filmproduction, Soquiet Filmproduktion)
OF LIVING WITHOUT ILLUSION (UND DASS MAN OHNE TÄUSCHUNG ZU LEBEN VERMAG) by Katharina Lüdin (DE/CH, Katharina Lüdin Filmproduktion)
A GOOD PLACE (EIN SCHÖNER ORT) by Katharina Huber (Acker Film)

CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE
STEPNE by Maryna Vroda (UA/DE/PL/SK, Vrodastudio, Babelsberg Film University Konrad Wolf, Tandem Production)
MANTAGHEYE BOHRANI by Ali Ahmadzadeh (IR/DE, Counter Intuitive Film)

PANORAMA SUISSE
THIS KIND OF HOPE by Paweł Siczek (CH/DE, Departures Film)
JILL by Steven Michael Hayes (CH/DE, K5 Film)

PARDI DI DOMANI: CONCORSO CORTI D’AUTORE
VALLEY PRIDE by Lukas Marxt (AT/DE, s u n³b°u°r°s t FILM)

PARDI DI DOMANI: CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE
DU BIST SO WUNDERBAR by Leandro Goddinho, Paulo Menezes (DE/BR)
AS IF MOTHER CRIED THAT NIGHT by Hoda Taheri (DFFB)
THE CURRENCY - SENSING 1 AGBOGBLOSHIE by Elom 20ce, Musquiqui Chihying, Gregor Kasper (DE/TW/TG)
SLIMANE by Carlos Pereira (DFFB)
A STUDY OF EMPATHY by Hilke Rönnfeldt (DK/DE, Frau Film)

LOCARNO KIDS: SCREENINGS
A GREYHOUND OF A GIRL by Enzo d'Alò (LU/IT/IE/UK/EE/LV/DE, Fish Blowing Bubbles)
TALES OF FRANZ (GESCHICHTEN VOM FRANZ) by Johannes Schmid (AT/DE, if... Productions Film)

OPEN DOORS: SCREENING
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME by Víctor Checa (PE/DE/ES/MX/EC, Black Forest Films)
THE RED SPIRAL by Lorena Colmenares (VE/DE)

LOCARNO PRO
Alliance 4 Development
OBJET A, by Ann Oren (Schuldenberg Films)
PAS TA MAMAN by Michèle Flury (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion)

Contacts:
Sylva Häutle (Head of Festival Relations & Producers Liaison)
Angela Sonntag (Head of Public Relations)