Film Fund Luxembourg has announced that several Luxembourg film co-productions will participate in various international film festivals and have been selected for a call for projects.
The Locarno International Film Festival, taking place from Wednesday 7 August to Saturday 17 August 2024, will screen Death Will Come by Christoph Hochhäusler (a co-production with “Amour Fou Luxembourg”, Germany and Belgium) as well as Youth (Hard Times), a documentary by Wang Bing (co-produced by “Les Films Fauves” with French, Hong Kong, and Dutch producers). Founded in 1946 and held every August in Locarno, Switzerland, the festival features various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, short, avant-garde and retrospective programs. The Locarno Kids Screenings will include Slocum et Moi, a French animated film by Jean-François Laguionie (co-produced by Melusine Studio), and the Panorama Suisse will showcase the historic drama Jakobs Ross by Katalin Gödrös (co-produced by Amour Fou Luxembourg).
The Sarajevo Film Festival, scheduled from 7 to 17 August in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, will feature the Paul Thiltges Distributions co-production Mother Mara by Mirjana Karanović at the World Premiere Gala Presentation. This renowned annual festival serves as a platform for filmmakers to showcase their work and fosters cultural exchange, promoting the growth of the regional film industry.
From Wednesday 28 August to Wednesday 7 September 2024, the Venice International Film Festival will celebrate international cinema. The Mostra Di Venezia, a prestigious annual event, attracts filmmakers, actors and film enthusiasts worldwide. Youth (Hard Times) by Wang Bing (Les Films Fauves) will compete in the International Competition. Additionally, five Luxembourg co-productions have been selected for the festival's "Immersive" section, dedicated to immersive arts and media: Ceci est Mon Coeur by Nicolas Blies and Stéphane Hueber-Blies (a_BAHN), Oto's Planet by Gwenael François (Skill Lab), Mamie Lou by Isabelle Andréani (Skill Lab), Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé (Les Films Fauves) and Champ de Bataille by François Vautier (Digital Voodoo).
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the largest publicly attended film festivals globally, will take place from 5 to 15 September 2024. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has become a permanent destination for film culture, attracting over 480,000 attendees annually. Horizonte by César Augusto Acevedo (co-produced with Tarantula Luxembourg) will be showcased in the festival’s Discovery Section. Youth (Hard Times) and Youth (Homecoming) by Wang Bing (Les Films Fauves) will be shown in the Wavelengths Section. All We Imagine As Light by Payal Kapadia (Les Films Fauves co-production) will be part of the Special Presentations programme.
Additionally, the results of the second call for projects under the Council of Europe's new Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions have been announced. This three-year initiative, home of Eurimages, supports high-quality series made as international co-productions and aims to empower independent producers and foster new relationships. The selected Luxembourg co-productions are Droneland by Nicolas Steil (Iris Productions) and #IBELIEVEHER by Mary McGuckian (Iris Productions).
