The 16th edition of the Les Arcs Film Festival, set to take place from December 14 to 21, has announced its highly anticipated selection of thirteen feature films in post-production for its Work in Progress (WiP) section. This event, scheduled for Sunday, December 15, is one of the most prominent networking opportunities for international sales agents, distributors, and programmers from renowned festivals worldwide.
Last year, Les Arcs’ WiP became a pivotal platform for films such as Toxic by Lithuanian director Saulė Bliuvaitė, which later triumphed in Locarno, as well as The Swedish Torpedo by Frida Kempff and U Are The Universe by Pavlo Ostrikov, both showcased at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Peaches Goes Bananas by Marie Losier, which premiered at Venice’s Giornate degli Autori.
This year, under the artistic direction of Frédéric Boyer, the selection includes eight debut films, one sophomore feature, and four works by established filmmakers, chosen from 150 submissions across 21 countries. Notable projects include the fifth film by Slovak director Ivan Ostrochovský, known for Velvet Terrorists and Servants, as well as the third feature by German-Kosovar filmmaker Visar Morina, director of Babai and Exile. Also featured is the third film by French director Laurent Slama (known as Élizabeth Vogler), remembered for Roaring ‘20s, which competed at Tribeca.
The lineup also includes the second feature by Austrian filmmaker Alexandra Makarová, alongside debut films from emerging directors such as Lauri-Matti Parppei (Finland), Elle Sofe Sara (Norway), Janicke Askevold (Norway), Maxence Voiseux (France), Jaume Claret Muxart (Spain), Thanasis Neofotistos (Greece), and Dutch filmmakers Thom Lunshof and Sven Bresser.
Three awards will be presented this year:
- TitraFilm Award, valued at €10,000 in post-production image and sound services
- Alphapanda Audience Engagement Award, focused on digital marketing, with a prize of €6,000
- 22D Music Award, offering €10,000 for the production of an original soundtrack
Additionally, this year will feature a new recognition for the Best Emerging Female Film Composer in collaboration with Sacem. The winner is Audrey Ismaël, composer of The Kingdom by Julien Colonna.
Official Work in Progress Selection – Les Arcs 2024
Competition
A Light That Never Goes Out – Dir. Lauri-Matti Parppei
Production: Made (Finland), Goodtime Pictures (Norway)Arru – Dir. Elle Sofe Sara
Production: STÆR (Norway), Garagefilm International AB (Sweden), It’s Alive Films (Finland)A Second Life – Dir. Laurent Slama
Production: 21Juin Cinéma (France)First Zone – Dir. Thom Lunshof
Production: Makaki Productions (Netherlands)Gabin – Dir. Maxence Voiseux
Production: Alter Ego Production (France), AMA FILM (Germany), Rita Productions (Switzerland)Hatixhe and Saban – Dir. Visar Morina
Production: Vicky Bane (Germany), Schuldenberg Films (Germany), Eagle Eye Films Kosova (Kosovo), Vertigo Ljubljana (Slovenia), On Film Production (Albania), List Production (North Macedonia), Quetzalcoatl (Belgium)Perla – Dir. Alexandra Makarová
Production: Golden Girls Film (Austria), Hailstone (Slovakia)Reedland – Dir. Sven Bresser
Production: Viking Film (Netherlands), A Private View (Belgium)Solomamma – Dir. Janicke Askevold
Production: Bacon Pictures Oslo (Norway), Bacon Pictures Copenhagen (Denmark), Mistrus Media (Latvia), Dansu Films (Lithuania), It’s Alive (Finland)Strange River – Dir. Jaume Claret Muxart
Production: ZuZú Cinema (Spain), Miramemira (Spain), Schuldenberg Films GmbH (Germany)The Boy With The Light Blue Eyes – Dir. Thanasis Neofotistos
Production: Argonauts Productions (Greece), Atalante Productions (Greece), Ye Films Ltd (Cyprus), Sektor Film (Macedonia), Studio Corvus (Croatia), Sense Production (Serbia), Luna Film (Romania), Willa (USA), Astrakan Films (USA), Cold Iron Pictures (USA)The Spring – Dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky
Production: Punkchart Films (Slovakia), Negativ Film Productions (Czech Republic), Proton Cinema (Hungary), Slovak Television and Radio (Slovakia), Czech Television (Czech Republic), Anna Geislerová (Czech Republic)
Out of Competition (in collaboration with the Icelandic Film Center)
- The Fires – Dir. Ugla Hauksdottir
Production: Netop Film (Iceland), Madants (Poland)
International Sales: Bankside Films
