The Locarno Residency, an initiative of Locarno Factory, has launched its fifth edition, continuing its mission to equip emerging filmmakers with practical industry expertise and creative support for debut feature film development.
Through its official Instagram page, organizers recently announced the open call for submissions alongside details of the program overview, and submission guidelines for emerging filmmakers.
This year, the Locarno Residency is divided into two selection phases. The first, The Locarno Film Festival artistic team will select 10 participants who will pitch their film concepts to an industry jury.
After the pitch, the next phase follows, where three final projects will be selected for a one-year mentoring program combining online and in-person sessions. The first phase is expected to take place next winter in Italy while the second follows in spring as a collaboration with the LUMA Foundation.
Previous winning projects selected at Locarno Residency 2025 include Ifeyinwa Arinze’s Scruples, Maryam Tafakory’s Hospital of Irremediable Desires and Luka Papic’s Viteska posla (Knights Anonymous). The Locarno Residency 2026/2027 submission window will run until June 5, 2026.