Locarno Meets Locarno Film Festival

This week on #LocarnoMeets, we're joined by Eugene Hernandez, director of the Sundance Institute, as he reflects on his decades-long relationship with the famous festival in Park City, Utah, beginning with his first visit in 1993. He underscores Sundance's roots as a supporter of independent storytelling, dating back to its founding principles established by Robert Redford, and highlights the Institute's commitment to championing trailblazing artists in the face of industry challenges.
Looking to the future, Eugene envisions Sundance going deeper rather than bigger, focusing on direct support for filmmakers and adapting to shifting industry dynamics. He discusses the festival's efforts to engage diverse audiences through varied and innovative strands and programs in Utah and at virtual festivals, as well as its material support of art house theatres and the Art House Convergence Network, which reinforces the Institute's role as a bridge between independent filmmakers and audiences.
 
Subscribe to Locarno Meets for lively conversations about art, culture life and everything in between with the likes of Lambert Wilson, Ken Loach, Harmony Korine, Marianne Slot, Luc Jacquet, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and more.
 
Locarno Meets is a Locarno Film Festival original production, brought to you by UBS.
 
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Host: Alexander Miller
Audio Producer: Jack Boswell
Video Producer: Claudia Campoli

This week on #LocarnoMeets, we're joined by filmmakers María Gisèle Roya and Julia De Castro, whose feature debut together "On the Go" premiered in Cineasti del Presente. Theirs is a bold homage to Spanish cinema of the '80s, specifically Gonzalo Garcia Pelayo's "Corridas de la Gria".
Shot in 16mm, this irreverent and energetic road movie concocts an adventure playground-like narrative around a burnt-out nightclub, the ins and outs of motherhood, and various surreal encounters. Celebrated for its eclectic soundtrack and omnivorous cultural explorations, "On the Go" is a sumptuous cinematic odyssey, enriched and enlivened by its torpedoing, unravelling, and carefree rejigging of a myriad of social issues.
The film plunges its cast of campy misfits into a vibrant and irrational outer realm, showcasing the directors' gift with blending anything-goes creativity and keen mutual understanding.
 
Subscribe to Locarno Meets for lively conversations about art, culture life and everything in between with the likes of Lambert Wilson, Ken Loach, Harmony Korine, Marianne Slot, Luc Jacquet, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and more.
 
Locarno Meets is a Locarno Film Festival original production, brought to you by UBS.
 
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Host: Alexander Miller
Audio Producer: Jack Boswell
Video Producer: Claudia Campoli

This week on #LocarnoMeets, Greek filmmaker Sofia Exarchou discusses her second feature film, "Animal", which looks at the lives of so-called "animators" at beach hotels in Greece.
The film explores the challenges these employees face in a demanding job that requires constant high energy and unwavering smiles. These people use their bodies to convey raw emotions, making their physical movements a central aspect of the film's storytelling and choreography.
In our conversation, Exarchou touches on the difficulties of funding creative films like "Animal", capturing the physicality of the scenes and her sensitive portrayal of the tourism industry in her native Greece.
 
Subscribe to Locarno Meets for lively conversations about art, culture life and everything in between with the likes of Lambert Wilson, Ken Loach, Harmony Korine, Marianne Slot, Luc Jacquet, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and more.
 
Locarno Meets is a Locarno Film Festival original production, brought to you by UBS.
 
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Host: Alexander Miller
Audio Producer: Jack Boswell
Video Producer: Claudia Campoli

Production designer Amos Sussigan, who served on the festival Pardi di Domani jury, engages in a thoughtful conversation about his work on Animal Farm and broader insights into the animation industry. He delves into the intricacies of character design, highlighting the challenges of capturing individuality while avoiding cartoonish stereotypes, drawing on his varied experience, including Space Jam 2.
Sussigan also touches on the (at the time) ongoing strikes in the industry and concludes with profound reflections on his preference for the role of production designer over that of director, citing the complexities of the latter in a committee-driven feature film environment.
The interview offers a deep and nuanced perspective on animation and filmmaking.
 
Subscribe to Locarno Meets for lively conversations about art, culture life and everything in between with the likes of Lambert Wilson, Ken Loach, Harmony Korine, Marianne Slot, Luc Jacquet, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and more.
 
Locarno Meets is a Locarno Film Festival original production, brought to you by UBS.
 
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Host: Alexander Miller
Audio Producer: Jack Boswell
Video Producer: Claudia Campoli

In a rich and provocative conversation, filmmaker Eduardo Williams discusses "The Human Surge 3," the would-be sequel to his 2016 work. This time, he shot it with 360-degree cameras, making for a singular cinematic experience.
 
He describes the interplay between script and improvisation that forms the backbone of his process, as well as the inherently political nature of cinema and the significant influence of video games on his work. Reflecting on online interactions and the potential of virtual reality in filmmaking, Williams offers deeper insights into his intense and distinctive approach to "The Human Surge 3".
 
Williams contrasts the grandiosity and strangeness of the title with the film's quotidian depiction of everyday life, emphasizing the looming presence of the apocalypse while spurning any obvious dramatic climax. This double perspective frustrates and subverts expectations and explodes the minutiae of the human condition into an elaborate spectrum of everyday situations.
 
Subscribe to Locarno Meets for lively conversations about art, culture life and everything in between with the likes of Lambert Wilson, Ken Loach, Harmony Korine, Marianne Slot, Luc Jacquet, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and more.
 
Locarno Meets is a Locarno Film Festival original production, brought to you by UBS.
 
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Host: Alexander Miller
Audio Producer: Jack Boswell
Video Producer: Claudia Campoli

Austin actress and writer Katie Folger shines in the ensemble cast of Family Portrait, a unique film about a Texas family's struggle to get a group photo.
The production took an unconventional approach, reflected in both the casting and the visual language of the film. With room to experiment, Katie valued the immersive, "dream-like" shooting experience over traditional rehearsals and a strict script.
In addition to her film work, Katie wrote Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man, a one-woman show exploring self-discovery and empowerment. Addressing sensitive topics such as sex from the perspective of growing up in a conservative family as an actress and comedian, she describes the experience of baring her soul to an audience as a form of spiritual alchemy. Active in Austin's artistic community, she is concerned about the evolving artistic landscape and strives to preserve the city's distinctive identity.

Subscribe to Locarno Meets for lively conversations about art, culture life and everything in between with the likes of Lambert Wilson, Ken Loach, Harmony Korine, Marianne Slot, Luc Jacquet, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and more.
 
Locarno Meets is a Locarno Film Festival original production, brought to you by UBS.
 
Follow us on Instagram
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Subscribe to our Newsletter
 
Host: Alexander Miller
Audio Producer: Jack Boswell
Video Producer: Claudia Campoli