The Locarno Film Festival has announced the full list of participants selected for the 2025 edition of the Locarno Filmmakers Academy — the intensive training platform that, year after year, supports young film professionals as they tackle the new challenges of contemporary film production and distribution.

Organized by Locarno Factory, the Filmmakers Academy offers a ten-day program that brings together emerging filmmakers from around the world. Under the guidance of industry experts, participants have the opportunity to expand their network, develop their projects, and engage in discussions about the future of audiovisual storytelling.

Stefano Knuchel, project manager, highlighted the vitality and diversity of this year’s call: “We are pleased to see ever more stimulating diversity among the applicants to the Filmmakers Academy. It’s a vibrant snapshot of the energy coursing through contemporary cinema. What stands out this year is the palpable desire — evident in the many extraordinary short films we received — to expand the boundaries of cinematic language and embrace contamination with other forms of visual creation. Thanks to this, through the Academy we not only see the most promising talents of the future emerging, but we see the very future of cinema taking shape.”

These are the names selected for the 2025 Locarno Filmmakers Academy: