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‘Dream of Another Summer,’ ‘Downriver, a Tiger,’ ‘Cannibals’ Victory’
LOCARNO, Switzerland — Two moving docu-fiction hybrids from Barcelona, “Dream of Another Summer” and “Downriver, a Tiger,” won big at Locarno’s First Look pix-in-post strand on Sunday, an event showcasing Spanish films.
Additionally, Liliana Cavani’s 1970 film “The Year of the Cannibals” took home the prize in Locarno Pro’s Historical Restoration Contest. Awards at the European co-production initiative Alliance 4 Development recognized projects such as Lukas Nathrath’s “Bourgeois Paranoia.”
“Dream of Another Summer,” directed by Irene Bartolomé, is comprised of extended fixed-frame shots capturing the streets of Beirut and parts of an apartment. The narrative unfolds as a woman returns to Beirut after Lebanon’s 2020 financial crisis and a massive port explosion. Both the woman and the city seem close to collapse, creating a powerful emotional portrait.
The film is produced by Colibri Studio and Bartolomé describes it as an intimate thriller that explores a woman in crisis amid a collapsing city, symbolizing a relationship between a woman and Beirut.
Directed by Víctor Diago, “Downriver, a Tiger” tells an unexpected love story between Júlia, a photographer from Barcelona, and Shubham, a young man from Goa, whom she meets in Glasgow. Júlia’s archival photo research also honors an earlier generation of immigrants from the Scottish highlands who built Glasgow.
Producer Montse Pujol Solà described “Downriver, a Tiger” as a self-funded, radical film created with freedom, serving as a fable about migration and its melancholy.
Both “Dream of Another Summer” and “Downriver, a Tiger” secured significant awards at this year’s First Look event.
In the Alliance 4 Development awards, winners included Michale Boganim’s “6 Months 6 Days,” “Atlantic Mirage” by Hakim Mao, and Alessandro Grande’s “Ithaca.”
Lukas Nathrath’s “Bourgeois Paranoia” depicts five people meeting at a café over a week, with insults and everyday situations escalating, aiming for a tragicomic tone with darker elements.
“6 Months, 6 Days,” produced by Mathilde Leite, ventures into an intimate exploration of characters confronting history. It follows Germany’s richest woman falling for Raphaël, who has a hidden agenda involving her family’s past.
Hakim Mao’s “Atlantic Mirage” promises to be an unapologetically queer genre film set in the historically rich city of Agadir.
Alessandro Grande’s “Ithaca” is inspired by a true story from the 1990s Italy, revealing a teenager who discovers his parents kidnapped him as a baby. This film is produced by Minerva Pictures and highlights shocking truths.
Liliana Cavani’s film “The Year of the Cannibals” will receive a full restoration by Cinegrell and be screened at the Locarno Film Festival 2025.
The Locarno Pro awards in 2024 highlight new talent and the festival’s dedication to honoring exceptional cinema.
FIRST LOOK
Antaviana Films First Look Award
Up to €50,000 ($56,378) in post-production services
“Dream of Another Summer,” (Irene Bartolomé)
Produced by: Pere Marzo (Colibrí Studio), Irene Bartolomé (I.B. Films), and Elie Kamal (The Attic Productions)
Jury statement: “In its dual public and private dimensions, it restores the complexity of a territory marked by the past and the drive for modernity.”
Music Library & SFX/Acorde Award
€45,000 ($49,050) in music supervision services at Music Library & SFX’s labs.
“Downriver, a Tiger,” (Víctor Diago)
Produced by: Montse Pujol Solà (Boogaloo Films)
Laserfilm Cine y Vídeo Award
€ 5,000 ($5,638) for services like subtitles, audio descriptions, spotting lists, transcriptions, or a DCP
“Downriver, a Tiger”
Jannuzzi Smith Award
The design of an international poster worth € 10,000 ($10,900).
“Mares,” (Ariadna Seuba)
Produced by: Carles Brugeras, Marieke van der Bersselaar (Polar Star Films), María Nova López (Intactes Films)
Le Film Français Award
€ 5,600 ($6,104) of advertising space
“Bodegón con fantasmas,” (Enrique Buleo)
Produced by: Alejandra Mora (Quatre Films Audiovisuales), Alicia Yubero (Cuidado con el Perro), Snezana van Houwelingen (This and That), Roberto Butragueño (Sideral)
ALLIANCE 4 DEVELOPMENT
Alphapanda Market Breakout Award
Consultancy services in the value of € 3,500 ($3,815)
“Bourgeois Paranoia,” by Lukas Nathrath, produced by Linus Günther (Klinkerfilm Production, Germany)
Alphapanda states: “A promising vision that we eagerly anticipate. Humor, discomfort, obsession, revenge, and bourgeois paranoia are taken to the extremes.”
Script Consultancy Residency at DreamAgo offered by the Valais Film Commission
“6 Months 6 Days,” (Michale Boganim)
Produced by Mathilde Leite (Vilanova Productions, France), co-produced by Dorothe Beinemeier (Red Balloon Film, Germany)
Pascale Rey (DreamAgo) and Tristan Albrecht (Valais Film Commission): “We are pleased to offer the writer a script doctoring session by Sir Christopher Hampton, during Plume & Pellicule in June 2025.”
Midpoint Consulting Award
A comprehensive online script consultancy with a Midpoint Institute expert.
“Atlantic Mirage,” (Hakim Mao)
Produced by Emma Binet and Charles Meresse (Furyo Films, France)
Midpoint: “A gripping story uniquely blending themes and genres, set against the mysterious city of Agadir.”
Ticino Film Commission Residence Award
A two-day location scout, worth CHF4,000: ($4,640) and a letter of intent (LOI) for financial support (worth up to CHF12,000: $13,080), if part of the film will be shot in Ticino.
“Ithaca,” (Alessandro Grande)
Produced by Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti (dispàrte, Italy).
Jury statement: In “Ithaca,” “landscapes play a vital role in expressing the violent rupture that its young protagonist endures – being kidnapped from his southern homeland and moved to a mountainous northern region.”
HERITAGE RESTORATION CONTEST
“The Year of the Cannibals,” (Liliana Cavani)
Produced by: Minerva Pictures
Source: Variety
