U30 is Locarno Pro’s industry event dedicated to a new generation of film professionals. Its goal, in a period of seismic changes for our industry - and our society - is to hear the voices of those who are called to shape them in the near future.
U30 fits perfectly at the crossroad between two other established Locarno Pro programs: the Industry Academy and StepIn. From the former it inherits the purpose to offer networking and learning opportunities to young film professionals; from the latter, it adopts its think-tank approach and structure, where the participants are not mere listeners, but actively involved in a series of sessions and conversations about the future of the film industry, so that they can exchange different points of view and find new strategies to tackle the challenges, but also the opportunities, that lie ahead.
The U30 participants are involved in a 3-day program divided in different sessions and extra activities that will take place during the Locarno Pro days, and will be asked to dive into the multi-faceted aspects of the film industry and enhance their networking opportunities and synergies with other industry attendees in Locarno.
The fifth edition of U30 took place from 9 to 11 August, 2024.
The program is by invitation only. Only young professionals under the age of 30 who have participated in one of the Locarno Industry Academies can participate in this initiative. For more information please contact: locarnopro@locarnofestival.ch
Project Manager: Marcello Paolillo
U30 is Locarno Pro’s industry event dedicated to a new generation of film professionals. Its goal, in a period of seismic changes for our industry - and our society - is to hear the voices of those who are called to shape them in the near future.
In 2023 the program took place from 4th to 6th August. Ten participants, active mainly in distribution and world sales, were selected from over the world.
Project Manager: Marcello Paolillo
Discover more: Selected participants U30 - Edition 2023
Download: Report U30 - Edition 2023
U30 is Locarno Pro’s industry event dedicated to a new generation of film professionals. Its goal, in a period of seismic changes for our industry - and our society - is to hear the voices of those who are called to shape them in the near future.
In 2022 the program took place from 5th to 7th August. Ten participants, active mainly in distribution and world sales, were selected from over the world.
Project Manager: Marcello Paolillo
Discover more: Selected participants U30 - Edition 2022
Download: Report U30 - Edition 2022
Even in a Covid era that makes traveling complicated, we are proud to have been able to keep the international DNA of this program, although more focused on Europe. Our 2021 participants come from Beirut, Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland and have been selected among various profiles following 3 criteria:
The U30 participants will be involved in a 3-day program divided in different sessions and extra activities that will take place during the Locarno Pro days, and will be asked to dive into the multi-faceted aspects of the film industry and enhance their networking opportunities and synergies with other industry attendees in Locarno.
Dates: 6-8 August
Project Manager: Marcello Paolillo
Discover more: Selected participants U30 - Edition 2021
Kevin Chan, Senior Acquisitions Manager at MUBI, UK
Sarah Corrigan, Senior Assistant- Co-President at IFC Films, USA
Tomas Cortes-Rosselot, Founder and Producer at ANIMAL (Cine Animal, S.A.), Chile/Panama
Shapath Das, Festival Director at Arthouse Asia Film Festival, India
Sofia Eleftheriades, International Sales Assistant at Lionsgate UK, Greece
Edward Frost, Theatrical Marketing Executive at Curzon, UK
Reinel García, Managing Director at Doc & Rio Festivals, Brazil / Cuba
Ajandok Gyenis, Theatrical Distributor at Mozinet, Hungary
Mitchell Harper, Independent Professional, South Africa
Tianyi Jia, Programming Assistant Manager at Broadway Cinematheque (Beijing), China
Andrés Jiménez Suárez, Programmer at Cinemateca Distrital de Bogotá and Interior XIII, Colombia
Elisa May, Home Entertainment Distribution, Deliveries and Digital Business Development at Mindjazz Pictures, Germany
Gabriel Milagres, Independent Professional, Brazil
Jazmin Monzon, Programmer at Cinetren, Argentina
Meriame Deghedi, Distribution and Sales Manager at MAD Solutions, Egypt
Océane Portal, Head of international operations at Under the Milky Way, France
Catalina Ramirez Chaves, Global Sales Manager at Gunpowder & Sky, USA
Julia Schubiger, Short Film Programmer at Fribourg International Film Festival, Switzerland
Ahmed Sobky, Head of Sales, Acquisitions & Theatrical Distribution, Egypt
Olivia Tay, Programme Executive at Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), Singapore
Alejandra Vargas-Carballo, Executive Producer & Founder at Noche Negra Producciones, Costa Rica/Panama
Alejandra Villalba García, Co-Founder, Co-Director at Mexico Morelia
Tanja Weibel, Project Manager Cinetour & Solothurn Film Festival, Switzerland
Bohdan Zhuk, Programme Coordinator at Kyiv International Film Festival, Ukraine
