The festival’s works in progress sidebar (Aug 6-8) will this year be focusing on Polish cinema.

locarno

The 2016 Locarno International Film Festival (Aug 3-13) will spotlight Polish cinema at this year’s edition of its works in progress sidebar.

The initiative, which selects between five and seven films in post-production, will offer film-makers the opportunity to present their works to industry professionals with the aim of facilitating completion and potentially attracting distribution.

The films will be screened as works-in-progress to sales agents, buyers and programmers.

This year’s jury to award the First Look prize will be: Cameron Bailey (Toronto International Film Festival Artistic Director), Bero Beyer (Rotterdam International Film Festival Director) and Wieland Speck (Director of Panorama at the Berlinale).

The Polish Film Institute will be accepting submissions until May 1, while the festival will announce its line-up in July.

The sidebar has now been running for five years, the previous countries represented were: Israel (2015), Brazil (2014), Chile (2013), Mexico (2012) and Colombia (2011).