{"id":169600,"date":"2025-07-16T12:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T16:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/telefilm.ca\/?p=169600"},"modified":"2026-06-15T15:18:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T19:18:30","slug":"canada-the-focus-country-at-locarno-film-festivals-first-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/telefilm.ca\/en\/canada-the-focus-country-at-locarno-film-festivals-first-look","title":{"rendered":"Canada \u2013 the Focus Country at Locarno Film Festival\u2019s First Look!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Canadian cinema will be in the spotlight at the 78th Locarno Film Festival with four feature-length films and three short films all world premiering at the festival. In addition, Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s Memory Box <\/em><\/strong>(France\/Lebanon\/Canada\/Qatar coproduction) is featured in Histoire(s) du Cin\u00e9ma<\/em> and will receive the prestigious Raimondo Rezzonico Award. Alongside the films in selection, Canada is the focus country at the 14th edition of First Look, an industry initiative that serves as a key post-production platform for international arthouse projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stills from canadians films presented at the 2025 Locarno Film Festival.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the Filmmakers of the Present competition, two narrative Canadian features were selected, first-time feature film director Sophy Romvari\u2019s Blue Heron<\/em><\/strong> (Canada\/Hungary coproduction which received funding in Telefilm\u2019s Talent to Watch Program) and directorial debut of \u00c9ric K. Boulianne\u2019s Folichonneries<\/em><\/strong> (his short Faire un enfant<\/em> won the Best Director award at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in 2023). In the international competition is Ben Rivers’ Mare\u2019s Nest<\/em><\/strong> (UK\/France\/Canada coproduction), and in the non-competitive section is Steven Kostanski\u2019s Deathstalker<\/em><\/strong>, a genre film with executive producer Slash from Guns N\u2019 Roses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the shorts competition, Ryan McKenna\u2019s Solitudes <\/em><\/strong>(his second short selected at Locarno), Alexandre Dostie\u2019s BOA<\/em><\/strong> (Canada\/France coproduction), and Jean-S\u00e9bastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte\u2019s animated short Ce qu\u2019on laisse derri\u00e8re<\/em><\/strong> (What We Leave Behind<\/em>)<\/strong> (their previous short film was shortlisted at the 2025 Oscars\u00ae<\/sup>) \u2013 were all produced in Quebec.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCanada makes a powerful mark at Locarno with eight films in selection, one prestigious award and six promising teams in First Look \u2014 a record-breaking celebration of Canadian talent!\u201d said Julie Roy<\/strong>, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada. \u201cLocarno has long championed Canadian voices like Denis C\u00f4t\u00e9, Trevor Anderson and Matthew Rankin, and this year reaffirms Canada\u2019s growing impact on global cinema. Our expanding international collaborations and audience markets not only reflect the strength of our storytelling today but also lay a strong foundation for the next generation of storytellers to thrive on the world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locarno\u2019s First Look<\/a>, in partnership with Telefilm Canada, is set to showcase six Canadian feature-length films that are currently in post-production with a goal to enhance their sales prospects and international festival runs. This industry-oriented initiative offers an international platform for Canadian producers to introduce their selected projects, followed by screenings with an audience of sales agents, buyers, festival programmers. With over 30 submissions, the following feature-length films are selected at Locarno\u2019s First Look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n