The Locarno Film Festival has revealed its 2025 lineup—and we’re thrilled to share that two Pop Up Film Residency–supported projects will be premiering in major competitions this summer.
BECOMING
Directed by Zhannat Alshanova
France, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden
Filmmakers of the Present Competition
Developed during the Pop Up Film Residency WEMW 2021
Zhannat Alshanova’s Becoming lands in the Filmmakers of the Present competition—a section dedicated to emerging voices and bold cinematic visions. Developed during her residency at Pop Up WEMW in 2021, Alshanova’s project stood out early for its subtle intensity and emotional precision. A Kazakhstan-born filmmaker with a growing European footprint, her debut feature continues the intimate, character-driven storytelling that made her earlier short films festival darlings. Now, Becoming is set to make its full-length mark on the international stage.
SORELLA DI CLAUSURA
Directed by Ivana Mladenovic
Romania, Serbia, Italy, Spain
International Competition
Developed during the Pop Up Film Residency Eurimages 2022
In the prestigious International Competition, Ivana Mladenovic returns to Locarno with Sorella di Clausura, a bold and enigmatic film that blends irreverence with spiritual inquiry. Mladenovic, known for genre-defying work across fiction and documentary, shaped the project during her 2022 Eurimages-backed Pop Up residency. This new feature promises the kind of tonal tightrope and emotional punch that have defined her career—this time with a sharp European ensemble and a setting that echoes both convent and contradiction.
Both films are a testament to Pop Up Film Residency’s mission: offering tailored, in-depth support to filmmakers across borders and genres. From script to screen, the residency fosters projects that challenge form, defy expectations, and connect local voices to global audiences.
We can’t wait to see these two distinctive films light up Locarno’s screens.