Locarno’s Match Me! Features Steven Bauer, Alba Flores, Alfredo Castro

Spangled by stars such as Steven Bauer in “My Uncle’s Movie,” Alba Flores in “The Shepherdess,” and Larraín regular Alfredo Castro in “Dog Legs,” the projects brought to Locarno’s Match Me! event highlight the incredible talent emerging from non-English language filmmakers worldwide.

This year’s lineup features slates from 36 producers and includes new titles from Matīss Kaža, co-writer of Gints Zilbalodis’ Cannes hit “Flow,” alongside works from Chile’s Oro Films, France’s Wrong Films, and the Dominican Republic’s Mentes Fritas Film Production. These companies have backed significant genre films like “To Kill the Beast,” “Animalia,” and “Bionico’s Bachata.”

A quick take on 2024’s Match Me! shows a global arthouse scene that is increasingly mixing it up in exciting ways. Hybrid financing strategies are popular among many producers, who are also exploring doc/fiction titles and genre blends. For example, Italy’s Mompracem plans to combine limited theatrical releases with online premieres to maximize audience engagement, according to Umberto Maria Angrisani.

Cannes featured movies with both artistic and audience appeal, a strategy mirrored by Match Me! producers. Tomás Gerlach of Chile’s A Simple Vista believes “Dog Legs” finds middle ground between authorship and audience interest. France’s Solal Coutard notes that “elevated arthouse” films have shown a global appetite for unique storytelling methods.

Germany’s Hakim + König Film aims to create “pop arthouse,” looking to attract vast audiences in multiplexes both in Germany and abroad.

Near all producers at the event embrace mixed financing models. Italy’s Mompracem is at Locarno with “Fucking Bonaparte,” exploring hybrid release strategies to reach broad audiences.

Some producers diversify the types of films they create. Taiwan’s Amanda Manyin Tseng, with “Honey Milk,” focuses on amplifying female and LGBTIQ+ voices alongside commercial projects to balance market risks.

This diversity signals a broadening of horizons for the non-English language movie scene. Here’s a deep dive into some of this year’s key projects showcased at Match Me!:

Brazil

Daniela Azeredo, Druzina Content

Representing a significant force in production and sales from Porto Alegre, Druzina Content is renowned for its kids/teen content and general audience sci-fi and doc series. Leading its slate is “Three Times” by Bruno Bini. The story revolves around a man who battles fate upon discovering it.

Rosa Caldeira, Maloka Filmes

Focusing on Black LGBTQ narratives from São Paulo’s favelas, Caldeira brings “Eke,” her debut feature, centering on a trans capoeira-vogue dancer rescued from despair. Another title on Maloka’s slate is “Saudades Maloqueira,” about a young Black trans person returning home after years of absence.

Chile

Tomas Gerlach, A Simple Vista

Valdivia-based A Simple Vista, headed by Tomas Gerlach, adapts works from Chilean literature. Its standout project, “Dog Legs,” stars Alfredo Castro as a man who adopts a child born with dog legs. The film seeks to explore genre blending and reach wider audiences.

Florencia Rodríguez Araya, Oro Films

Oro Films, known for backing prominent genre films, brings “The Evil That Binds Us” and “The Flames of a Thousand Fires” to Locarno. Both films explore intense family dramas set against compelling backdrops.

Dominican Republic

Cristián Mojica, Mentes Fritas Film Production

Cristián Mojica aims to balance entertainment with strong dramatic narratives. His project, “The Baker,” is a quirky mash-up of styles, likened to combining Scorsese’s “Mean Streets” with Rohrwacher’s artistic poetry, set against urban Dominican music.

Nidsbelle Guzmán, Cronos Films & Production

Nidsbelle Guzmán crosses into sensory cinema with “Beyond the Mist,” exploring grief and memory through the symbolism of water. The project is set for a deeply emotional and tactile cinematic experience.

Estonia

Madis Tüür, Münchausen Films

Known for producing and co-producing standout films, Münchausen Films brings projects like “Aurora” and the refugee survival thriller “Container” to Locarno. The company offers production services and creates original films.

Volia Chajkouskaya, Allfilm

Allfilm, behind the milestone film “Tangerines,” presents “Mono” at Locarno, a story about understanding past trauma and personal growth.

Finland

Inka Hietala, Made

From the notable producer behind San Sebastian winner “Kalak,” Made showcases “7 p.m. on a Sunday,” a drama addressing youth violence, mental health, and gender norms.

Anita Hyppönen, It’s Alive Films

Known for inventive and often humorous films, It’s Alive Films presents “Halima,” a debut film set in the ’90s exploring cultural memories and childhood dreams.

France

Walid Bekhti, Malfamé

Focusing on underrepresented territories, Malfamé brings “Bouzaron,” a grounded crime thriller set on Reunion Island.

Solal Coutard, Collective Cinema

“A Paradise Lost,” from Lebanese filmmaker Kim Lêa Sakkal, promises an epic exploration of privilege and human dependencies in Beirut.

Germany

Maritza Grass, Carousel Film

Cosmopolitan Carousel Film is at Locarno with “How to Walk on Water,” a story exploring social inequality and racism.

Ali Hakim, Hakim + Konig Film

Embracing “pop arthouse,” Hakim + Konig Film’s “700 Days in Homs” details a gripping survival story during the Syrian crisis.

Italy

Umberto Maria Angrisani, Mompracem

Bringing dark comedy and eroticism, “Fucking Bonaparte” promises high-concept crossover potential with intriguing narrative layers.

Michele Cherchi Palmeri, MattoFilm

Diving into documentaries, MattoFilm is working on features exploring personal and societal impacts from unique angles.

Portugal

Bruno Moraes Cabral, Wonder Maria Filmes

Wonder Maria Filmes presents “The Last Summer,” a family drama confronting environmental and personal crises.

Spain

Charli Bujosa, Mansalva Films

Mansalva Films brings “The Shepherdess,” telling the story of an intersexual maqui during post-Spanish Civil War, showcasing pioneering narratives.

Laura Egidos Plaza, Contraria

With a focus on impactful storytelling, Contraria’s “March 14th” deals with the emotional fallout of a parents’ divorce from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy.

Taiwan

Ivy Y.H. Chiang, 1510 Workshop Co.

Chiang presents “Indigo Boy” and “Counterpunch Boxing,” projects that delve into fantasy and social dramas exploring mental health and cultural integration.

Amanda Manyin Tseng, ENLA Media

ENLA Media’s “Honey Milk” explores perfectionism and addiction in modern motherhood, reflecting complex emotional landscapes.

Source: Variety