Alliance 4 Development (A4D) is a co-development program for film projects from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland hosted by Locarno Pro. The aim of the program is to future-proof the market potential of the projects and foster long-term creative and business ties between the targeted countries.
In 2024, Alliance 4 Development presented eleven projects: two from Austria, France, Germany and Italy, and three from Switzerland. The selected projects took part in a dedicated three-day program to enhance their project's co-production potential through curated one-on-one meetings, pitching sessions, networking events, lunches, workshops, and feedback sessions with industry guests attending Locarno Pro.
The projects selected for the 2024 edition:
- 6 Mois 6 jours (6 Months 6 Days) by Michale Boganim, produced by Mathilde Leite (Vilanova Productions, France), co-produced by Dorothe Beinemeier (Red Balloon Film, Germany)
- A Paradise Lost by Kim Lêa Sakkal, produced by Mehmet Akif Büyükatalay and Claus Herzog-Reichel (filmfaust, Germany) and Solal Coutard (Collective Cinema, France)
- Bourgeois Paranoia by Lukas Nathrath, produced by Linus Günther (Klinkerfilm Production, Germany)
- Dal pianeta terra (From Planet Earth) by Luca Magi, produced by Claudio Giapponesi (Kiné Società Cooperativa, Italy)
- Ein Jahr ohne Sommer (A Year Without Summer) by Flurin Giger, produced by Aline Schmid (Beauvoir Films, Switzerland), co-produced by Cécile Tollu-Polonowski (Match Factory Productions GmbH, Germany)
- Hôtel des thermes by Maéva Ranaïvojaona and Georg Tiller, produced by Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu and Bady Minck (AMOUR FOU Vienna GmbH, Austria), co-produced by Laurence Lascary (De l'Autre Côté du Périph’, France)
- I'm Not Here to Make Friends by Julia Niemann, produced by Katharina Posch (Nikolaus Geyrhalter Filmproduktion, Austria)
- Itaca (Ithaca) by Alessandro Grande, produced by Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti (dispàrte, Italy)
- La Fin de l’été (Atlantic Mirage) by Hakim Mao, produced by Emma Binet and Charles Meresse (Furyo Films, France)
- Paradis perdu (Lost Paradise) by Hugues Hariche, produced by Xavier Grin (P.S. Productions, Switzerland)
- Undercurrents by Beatrice Minger, produced by Rhea Plangg and Michela Pini (Cinédokké and Lido Pictures, Switzerland)
The projects competed for several awards: the Alphapanda Market Breakout Award, consisting in consultancy services in the value of 3,500 €; a script consultancy residency at DreamAgo, offered by the Valais Film Commission, worth 5,000 CHF; the MIDPOINT Consulting Award for an in-depth online script consultancy with one of the MIDPOINT Institute experts; the Ticino Film Commission Residence Award, which consists of a 2-day location scout (worth 4,000 CHF) and Letter of Intent (LOI) for financial support for the production company (worth up to 12,000 CHF), if all or part of the film will be shot in Ticino.
The Alliance 4 Development 2024 winners are:
- Bourgeois Paranoia by Lukas Nathrath, produced by Linus Günther (Klinkerfilm Production, Germany) winner of the Alphapanda Market Breakout Award.
- 6 Mois 6 jours (6 Months 6 Days) by Michale Boganim, produced by Mathilde Leite (Vilanova Productions, France), co-produced by Dorothe Beinemeier (Red Balloon Film, Germany) winner of the script consultancy residency at DreamAgo, offered by the Valais Film Commission.
- La Fin de l’été (Atlantic Mirage) by Hakim Mao, produced by Emma Binet and Charles Meresse (Furyo Films, France) winner of the MIDPOINT Consulting Award.
- Itaca (Ithaca) by Alessandro Grande, produced by Alessandro Amato and Luigi Chimienti (dispàrte, Italy) winner of the Ticino Film Commission Residence Award.
Alliance 4 Development is possible thanks to partnerships with CNC (Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée), France; FFA (Filmförderungsanstalt), Germany; DGCA-MiC (Direzione Generale Cinema e Audiovisivo del Ministero della Cultura), Italy; ÖFI (Österreichisches Filminstitut), Austria; the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) / MEDIA Desk Suisse, Switzerland. A4D is also made possible by contributions from Eurimages, which promotes and sponsors one of the initiative's networking events, and from the European Producers Club, which offers consultancy on the various issues covered.
The Project Manager of the Alliance 4 Development is Francesca Palleschi. For more information, please contact her at: industry@locarnofestival.ch.
