For the second year running, Unifrance is partnering the Match Me! program at the Locarno Film Festival, offering three French producers the opportunity to expand their international network.
Initiated in 2015, the Match Me! program is aimed at emerging companies – with a distinct focus and strong visions – developing a first or second feature film.
Over three days, from August 4 to 6, 2023, participants will meet other professionals from over a dozen countries as part of this program, and work to find co-productions or financing, buyers or distributors.
The three French production companies selected are :
Aurora Films: 2 projects
Producer: Katia Khazak
- Fog by Denis Spiridonov
- Holiday by Wissam Charaf
Pentacle Productions: 3 projects
Producer: Gaëtan Trigot
- To Live and Die with Che Guevara by Christophe Réveille
- Fantastic Mirror by Nicolas Lesouëf Liberas
- Semmelweis by Antoine Levannier
Moderato: 3 projects
Producer: Clémence Crépin Neel
- Kingdom of the Blind by François Robic
- Forgive me for Saying by Alois Sandner Díaz
- Nightshift by Jérémie Brugidou & Fabien Clouette
Unifrance's support for emerging productions is part of its commitment to helping Unifrance members make the transition from short to feature films.
A Unifrance delegation will also be on hand to support professionals and talent.
Progress report on Match Me! 2022 projects
- All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia, présented by Thomas Hakim (Petit Chaos) in 2022 found a sales agent and also received support from Eurimages, the CNC, Fondation Gan pour le Cinéma, ARTE France, Ciclic, Visions Sud Est, and the Hubert Bals Fund, among others. The film is currently shooting in India.
- Discipline by Camille Degeye, presented by the same producer, has received development funding from the CNC and writing funding from Ciclic. Shooting is scheduled for late 2024.
- Isidore ou Le Paysage by Pablo Dury was selected for the Moulin d'Andé residency, where Dury continues to write.
- As for producer Charlotte Vande Vyvre (Balade Sauvage Productions), her documentary Compter les morts by Alice Colomer has made good progress. It is currently being edited at Tënk in Lussas. The film is supported by the SCAM, CICLIC, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, CNC, and has been pre-purchased by Tënk.
- After a fine selection at the Quinzaine des Cinéastes with the short film A Storm Inside, producer Elsa Klughertz (Jonas Films) is making great strides on her feature film project: Le Beau Rôle by Victor Rodenbach, starring Vimala Pons and William Lebghil, which will start shooting in October 2023. The film is supported by Canal+ and the Région Grand Est. It will be distributed by jour2fête and sold by The Party Film Sales.
- L’Ile by Hong-Kai Liang was selected for the Co-Production Focus at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.
