The 78th edition of the Locarno International Film Festival, taking place from August 6 to 16 in Switzerland, will once again feature Lithuanian talent. Two films co-produced by Lithuanian teams have been selected to compete in the festival’s official lineup.
Janicke Askevold’s Solomamma has been included in the Concorso Internazionale, the festival’s main competition program. Zhannat Alshanova’s Becoming will compete in Concorso Cineasti del Presente, a section dedicated to first or second feature films.
Solomamma centers on Edith, a journalist in her 40’s struggling to navigate the chaos of single motherhood. Upon discovering the identity of her son’s sperm donor, she seeks him out under the false pretext of interviewing him about his company. As an emotional connection begins to grow between them, Edith sinks deeper into lies, endangering the fragile life she has built.
Solomamma is a Norwegian film co-produced in collaboration with producers from Latvia and Lithuania. In Lithuania, it was co-produced by Gabija Siurbytė and Viktorija Rimkutė (Dansu), with an original score composed by Paulius Kilbauskas and Vygintas Kisevičius.
Selected for the festival’s top-tier competition, Solomamma is in the running for the Golden Leopard – the festival’s highest honor. Last year, the prize was awarded to Toxic, the feature by a Lithuanian filmmaker Saulė Bliuvaitė.
Becoming follows Mila, a 17-year-old girl living in Kazakhstan, who escapes the instability of her home by joining an open-water swimming team led by an enigmatic coach, Vlad. Within the disciplined environment of the team, she experiences a sense of belonging. But when her place on the team is threatened, Mila must decide how far she is willing to go to preserve the fragile 
balance she has built.
The film was produced by an international team from France, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Sweden. Lithuanian Marija Razgutė served as co-producer, with Brigita Beniušytė (M-Films) as associate co-producer. Lithuanian contributions also include actor Valentin Novopolskij in the role of coach Vlad, costume designer Fausta Naujalė, and underwater shooting team CineDive, among others.
Running in parallel with the festival, Locarno Pro offers a key platform for film professionals. This year, Lithuanian producers Gabrielė Vaičiūnaitė (Why Films) and Rūta Kiaupaitė (afterschool) were selected for Match Me!, a curated networking program that connects emerging producers with potential co-production and business partners from around the world.
In addition, Lithuanian film curator Rokas Jonas has been chosen to participate in U30, a program aimed at alumni of various Locarno industry academies. Over the course of three days, participants will engage in interactive sessions and discussions exploring the future of the film industry.
