Locarno79’s response to the exodus of major U.S. studios from film festivals is to put independent cinema at the centre. Locarno Pro, however, offered a look at the other side of the equation. Stephen Follows presented an analysis that was unsettling, though hardly surprising, using data from previous years to show that only a small percentage of independent films are profitable: 3.4%, to be precise. Of the roughly one in ten indie films that actually reach cinemas, only 33% turn a profit, compared with 50% of studio-produced films.
While the power law means that a small number of films account for almost all box-office revenues, Follows warned against placing too much faith in forecasts and algorithms in a market that is, by its very nature, “unpredictable, inscrutable and unfair.” Using algorithms, test screenings and AI to predict whether a film will make money, in Follows’ words, “is like putting bars on the windows of a house built in an area prone to hurricanes and earthquakes.”
One of the roundtables also stressed the need for independent cinema to use generative AI only as a logistical and marketing tool, without allowing it to spill over into the creative process or influence the selection of talent and stories. Independent cinema “must remain the creative laboratory of the industry,” as producer Jaume Ripoll, co-founder of streaming platform Filmin, put it, rather than simply reproducing on a smaller scale the model established by major studios and streaming platforms.
“Indie cinema should not try to defeat the algorithm, but create what the algorithm cannot predict,” Ripoll concluded, echoing the “People First” approach of Andrea Occhipinti, president and founder of Lucky Red. Occhipinti also argued in favour of a more human-centred cinema in which AI remains a tool rather than becoming an agent with decision-making power.
Important indications also emerged from Open Doors, one of Locarno’s most vital and strategically important sections. Its aim is to support talent from developing and underrepresented countries, as well as places where freedom of artistic expression is at risk. Focused until 2028 on 42 countries across the African continent, the initiative selected its winners while highlighting the profound differences within a continent that is too often treated as a single homogeneous entity because of limited outside knowledge.
Among the emerging talents from this African incubator are Talemwa Pius, Mohammed Sheikh and Aseye Fiagbe, the creators of the three projects that received the Open Doors Grant. Their work suggests that cinema which is less tied to industrial standards and rigid narrative structures — and instead gives greater attention to local communities and more intuitive forms of expression — may offer the strongest answer to the standardisation encouraged by algorithms.
Still in development, and therefore yet to secure theatrical distribution deals, the films awarded at this edition could follow in the footsteps of titles such as Pakistan’s Joyland, which grossed more than $1.2 million worldwide after taking part in the Open Doors Hub selection in 2018, and Atlantique by Senegalese director Mati Diop. Staying with Africa, Atlantique originated within Open Doors in 2012 under the title La prochaine fois, le feu and was later acquired by Netflix following a limited theatrical release.
Africa was also strongly represented elsewhere in the festival. The autobiographical musical drama Congo Boy, co-produced by Rai Cinema with the participation of Marco Bechis and Daniele Incalcaterra of Karta Film, took the spotlight in Piazza Grande, while Ghanaian film Ego Reach We All won the award for Best Actor in Cineasti del Presente.
The discussions also addressed the real financial cost of inclusion. Margherita Chiti of Palomar pointed out that expenses related to gender equality, accessibility on set and support for female workers should not have to come out of independent film budgets. Instead, she argued, these costs should be incorporated into the official criteria governing public funding.
What emerges from Locarno 79, then, is a set of guidelines pointing toward a more human-centred vision of cinema: sustainable productions that embrace diversity and are capable of integrating technology without allowing it to restrict freedom, independence or creativity. It is a programmatic agenda that makes no secret of its ambition to help set the direction for other festivals as well.
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