The 16th edition of the Les Arcs Film Festival’s Industry Village concluded positively, highlighting Norwegian filmmaker Janicke Askevold’s breakthrough feature, “Solomamma.” This film, which depicts the moving story of a single mother reaching out to her sperm donor, received much attention and won the €10,000 22D Music Award for its creative musical composition.
“Solomamma,” starring Lisa Loven Kongsli from “Force Majeure” and Herbert Nordrum from “The Worst Person in the World,” proved to be a commercial success. It set a festival record with 42 meeting requests and 14 open slots. The jury, which included MK2 Films managing director Fionnuala Jamison, lauded the film for its perceptive commentary on modern family dynamics and skillful use of music in the storyline.
“The many great meetings in Les Arcs are opening up exciting opportunities for our project,” said Rebekka Rognoy, producer at Norway’s Bacon Pictures. The film is projected to be finished editing by the end of January, with a festival premiere scheduled for early 2025.
This year’s Industry Village welcomed 700 film professionals, up from 650 in 2023. Other emerging European artists were also highlighted at the festival. Thom Lunshof’s post-apocalyptic thriller “First Zone” won the TitraFilm Award, worth €10,000, while Jaume Claret Muxart’s LGBT coming-of-age story “Strange River” received the Alphapanda Audience Engagement Award.
Despite its development, the festival maintains an intimate atmosphere that industry professionals value. “The market is becoming one of the most important in Europe,” stated Elisa Fernanda Pirir, the producer of “Arru.” “We can meet sales agents and distributors more personally without the stress.”
Thanks to additional funding, the festival’s expansion has been meticulously planned. The budget now stands at €1.6 million, divided evenly between private and governmental sources. “We know that what makes the market special is the cozy atmosphere, so we try to keep it that way,” said Lison Herve, the manager of Industry Village.
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Les Arcs has evolved into a big pan-European event that retains its French roots. Jeremy Zelnik, co-founder and head of professional events, highlighted that most key industry awards went to European producers outside of France, demonstrating the festival’s continental reach.
The festival, which runs alongside public ski resort activities, has grown in popularity and now spans two resort floors. Next year’s version has already been scheduled for December 13-20, 2024.
