All At Sea, a semi-autobiographical documentary by the late and acclaimed director and scriptwriter Mike Hodges, is one of six UK films selected for Locarno Pro’s works in progress strand First Look.
Thriller 7 Keys, the feature debut of Joy Wilkinson, a 2015 Screen Star of Tomorrow, will also be showcased in First Look.
Scroll down for full list of titles
Taking place at the Locarno Film Festival between August 4- 6, the 12th edition of Locarno Pro’s First Look is presenting works-in-progress from the UK through a partnership with the BFI international Fund, using funds from the National Lottery.
Other UK titles in the selection include Mother Vera by Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson, No Ifs Or Buts by Sarah Lewis, The Lonely Musketeer by Nicolai Schumann and Vanilla by Joseph A. Adesunloye.
The selected works-in-progress, none of which currently have sales representation, will be presented at the Cinema Rialto during the Locarno Film Festival.
The international First Look jury, comprised of Ava Cahen (artistic director of Cannes Critics’ Week), Gaia Furrer (artistic director of Venice’s Giornate degli Autori) and Eugene Hernandez (Sundance festival director) will hand out several awards: the Creativity Media First Look Award, which covers services towards the completion of films in post-production up to the value of €50,000; the Jannuzzi Smith Award worth €8,500, for the design of an international poster; and an award from Le Film Français with advertising space worth €5,600. The winners will be announced on August 6.
Locarno Pro’s First Look projects
7 Keys
Dir: Joy Wilkinson
Prod: Cassandra Sigsgaard, Jeva Films. Co Prod: 4 8 Fourteen Films
Daniel has kept the keys to all the places he ever lived. Lena wants to use them – on the ultimate property porn tour of London, a lost weekend of getting to know each other intimately in other people’s homes. But as Lena unlocks her lover’s past, what began as a risky fantasy becomes a deadly threat. Will Lena’s attempt to escape her real life leave her more trapped than ever?
All At Sea
Dir: Mike Hodges
Prod: Solon Papadopoulos, Hurricane Films
All At Sea is a semi-autobiographical documentary by the late Mike Hodges, showing the world through his eyes throughout his life, and how it has changed and stayed the same. Directed, written and narrated by Hodges, it explores his story from his start in the Navy in the 1950s, to his work for Granada in the 1960s, through to his meteoric success with hits such as Get Carter and Flash Gordon in the 1970s onwards. Reflecting from his quiet Dorset home, Mike Hodges creates a visual ode to the bustle of the sea, the spark of 1960s London, and the darker side of the world that he’s seen through a lens.
Mother Vera
Dirs: Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson
Prod: Laura Shacham, She Makes Productions
From the thick snow of the Belarusian forest to the heat of the reeds in the French Camargue, Mother Vera is the story of a young Orthodox nun, her turbulent past, and fragile future. After 20 years as a monastic, Vera faces deep inner conflict; now, she must confront her past and trust her instincts to find the liberation she desires.
No Ifs Or Buts
Dir: Sarah Lewis
Prod: Sarah Loews, Felt Culture. Co-Prod: DoBeDo
Filmed over a 25-year period, No Ifs Or Buts delivers a portrait of the low-key, yet famous London barbershop ‘Cuts’. Guided by founders James Lebon and Steve Brooks who met when one was a Rockerbilly and the other a New Romantic, the salon moved from early 80s post punk roots to become a communal hub for DJs, photographers and style icons, an influencer in the analogue age. The film bears witness to the passing of time and the profound and often tragic personal change in the hairdressers’ lives within the wider context of change in the UK’s political and cultural landscape.
The Lonely Musketeer
Dir: Nicolai Schumann
Prod: Adnan Raja, Addy Films. Co-Prod: Alice’s Pig, Apiro Entertainment, Rights Film Productions
A closed-room thriller about greed, revenge and the tragedy of human trauma, The Lonely Musketeer is the story of Rupert who wakes up in a locked room without any doors or windows. He has no clue how he got there, and all he has is his mobile phone. As he investigates, he is haunted by the past and slowly discovers the horror he has gotten into.
Vanilla
Dir: Joseph A. Adesunloye
Prod: Joseph A Adesunloye, DreamCoat Films
Bastien and Matt, an interracial gay couple, celebrate their third anniversary by escaping to sunny Barcelona. With a beautiful house and proximity to the beach, they hope to mend their rocky relationship after Bastien’s recent infidelity with a woman. Matt struggles to move past it, affecting his libido, but they both attempt to come together and communicate honestly. However, their efforts are disrupted by the arrival of Florent, a Queer Englishman living in Spain.
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