Locarno Pro handed out its industry prizes on Sunday, recognizing projects at various stages of development and post-production, with Canadian work-in-progress “Nina Roza,” Spain’s “Lóngquán: The Dragon Spring,” and Swiss project “Dark Chocolate” among the standouts. “Nina Roza,” directed by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles and produced by Colonelle Films, topped the First Look showcase, taking the Urban Post First Look Award for post-production services and the Jannuzzi Smith poster-design prize, as the Canadian-focused program wrapped in Locarno on August 10. The same First Look jury also cited “Lunar Sway” with the Cineground Award and a marketing space prize, while “Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants” received the Music Library & SFX/Acorde music supervision award.
First Look, the festival’s works-in-progress platform, spotlighted six Canadian titles this year through a partnership with Telefilm Canada, with jurors drawn from Sundance, Berlinale programming and the Queer Palm. The initiative aims to connect near-finished films with sales agents and finishing resources; this edition’s awards included up to CHF 50,000 in post services (Urban Post), €45,000 in music supervision (Music Library & SFX/Acorde), CHF 15,000 in image finishing (Cineground), an international poster design package (Jannuzzi Smith), and €5,600 in trade advertising (Le Film Français). Ahead of the market bow, Brussels-based Best Friend Forever boarded “Nina Roza,” signaling early sales interest.
In a new Locarno Pro strand, the inaugural Spanish Previews prize—an Antaviana voucher for post-production—went to Adrià Guxens’ “Lóngquán: The Dragon Spring,” a hybrid fiction-documentary following a young Catalan of Chinese descent on a journey that interrogates roots and identity. The award consists of facilities support valued at €10,000, reflecting the showcase’s aim to accelerate Spain-originated projects toward completion.
Locarno’s co-development platform Alliance 4 Development, which unites partners from France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, introduced two Masé Studio distinctions this year; a cash Masé Studio Award went to “Dark Chocolate” from director Valentin Merz. Additional A4D honors included post-production services for “In the Hidden,” a special Masé Studio post nod for “Snow,” and development consultancies for other projects. Locarno Pro ran August 7–12 alongside the 78th Locarno Film Festival.
