Launchpad is born, a platform that will enable young professionals to be integrated into the various sectors of the film industry, thanks to the network of European festivals, including Locarno, that are partners in the initiative.

“Film professionals in the first few years of their careers are tomorrow’s key industry players and at the same time one of the most fragile segments of our business,” reads the statement jointly issued by the heads of the festivals involved.

The network of festivals, which includes Thessaloniki, Tallinn, Karlovy Vary, and Rotterdam, among others, will offer participants, selected through a public call for applications, automatic access to all of the partners’ events, on-site or online, for the 12 months following selection. The first 10 professionals have already been identified through Locarno Industry Academy, the Locarno Film Festival’s professional training project designed for film industry professionals.

The statement goes on to say that Launchpad represents “a first step towards a more inclusive and accessible film industry. This will be possible in a more open and cohesive landscape, where festival and film industry events are able to collaborate and join forces for common goals.”

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