The Future is Female at Locarno Pro as ‘Mother Vera,’ ‘No Ifs or Buts,’ ‘Pas Ta Maman’ Scoop Awards

It was a good day for female filmmakers and documentaries at Locarno Pro, with Mother Vera by Ccile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson winning the Creativity Media First Look Award on Sunday at Locarnos pix-in-post competition, dedicated this year to the U.K.

Dedicated to a young Orthodox nun, Mother Vera shows her turbulent past and fragile future as she faces inner conflict after 20 years as a monastic.

From the opening moments of this film, we were immediately drawn to the strikingly photographed stark portrait of a fascinating nun in Belarus who makes a journey to France, said jurors Ava Cahen, Gaia Furrer and Eugene Hernandez.

The award covers post production services up to the value of 50,000 ($55,000). Laura Shacham produces Mother Vera for She Makes Productions.

While six UK works-in-progress were selected for the 12thedition of the First Look initiative, another doc, Sarah Lewis No Ifs or Buts about Londons barbershop-turned-cultural hub Cuts ended up picking up Jannuzzi Smith Award (8,500: $9,370) and Le Film Franais Award (5,600: $6,200).

Cuts has never been just about the haircut, buta place where people would go to connect and create, she toldVariety. Lewis, who produces for Felt Culture, began filming back in 1996. DoBeDo co-produces.

The 25-year timespan, although frustrating at times, has been an opportunity to witnessprofound personal shifts in the hairdressers lives within the wider changing context of the UKs cultural landscape.

Alliance 4 Development, a co-development initiative for film projects from Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, also revealed its winners, starting with Pas Ta Maman by Michle Flury, which received the Alphapanda Market Breakout Award, consisting in consultancy services valued at 3,500 ($3,860).

Sommerhaus FilmproduktionsFelix Schreiberproduces.

Mandys journey will be that of a woman who experiences sexual violence and comes to realize that she is a victim, even if she denies it at first. Gradually, she finds a way to break free from the role assigned to her by her perpetrators and fights back. Moreover, she allies with two other women fighting the same battle, noted Flury.

The jurors called the film a brutal yet playful tale that uses contrasting genres to explore acurrent and important topic, abuse against women and what it means to be sexualized, victimized and to fight back.

Despina Athanassiadis and producer Quentin Daniel celebrated the win of The Young One, granted a script consultancy residency at DreamAgo (5,000 CHF: $5,730), while Lorenz Merzs Who/Man won the Midpoint Consulting Award.

Objet a by Ann Oren walked away with the Ticino Film Commission Residence Award, consisting of a two-day location scout (4,000 CHF: $4,580) and letter of intent for financial support for the production company if all or part of the film will be shot in Swiss region Ticino (worth up to 12,000 CHF: $13,750).

We are extremely pleased that our jurors and partners assigned their prizes to emerging talents and mostly first or second-time directors, which is very much in line with our mission of discovering new talents.And yes, many female filmmakers!, stated Markus Duffner, head of Locarno Pro.

Alberto Cavalcantis Mulher de verdade won the first ever Heritage Online Restoration Contest. The film will now enter a restoration process offered by Zurich and Berlin-based Cinegrell.

With this award we want to underline Alberto Cavalcantis importance and creative vision that shaped Brazilian filmmaking, leaving a lasting impact on the countrys cinematic heritage, stated the jury consisting of Paula Astorga, Frdric Maire and K.J. Relth-Miller.

Its an incredibly good choice and much needed endorsement of the Brazilian Cinematheques work. Especially now, when they are coming out of a rather dark era, added Duffner.

No Ifs or Buts Courtesy of Locarno Film Festival Full list of winners:

First Look

Creativity Media First Look Award

Mother Vera

Dir: Ccile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson

Producer: Laura Shacham (She Makes Productions)

Jannuzzi Smith Award

No Ifs or Buts

Director and producer: Sarah Lewis (Felt Culture)

Le Film Franais Award

No Ifs or Buts

Alliance 4 Development

Alphapanda Market Breakout Award

Pas Ta Maman

Dir: Michle Flury

Producer: Felix Schreiber (Sommerhaus Filmproduktion)

Script Consultancy Residency at DreamAgo, offered by the Valais Film Commission

The Young One (La Ptite)

Dir: Despina Athanassiadis

Producer: Quentin Daniel (Wombat Films)

Midpoint Consulting Award

Who/Man

Dir: Lorenz Merz

Producer: Michela Pini (8horses)

Ticino Film Commission Residence Award

Objet a

Dir: Ann Oren

Producer: Kristof Gerega, Sophie Ahrens and Fabian Altenried (Schuldenberg Films)

Heritage Online Restoration Contest

Mulher de verdade (1954) by Alberto Cavalcanti