The Locarno Industry Academy is a training program launched in 2014 at the Locarno Film Festival with strong European and international components, designed to help young professionals expand their network in the areas of international sales, marketing, traditional and online distribution, exhibition and programming (festivals, film clubs and film libraries).

In 2022, the Industry Academy takes place in Latin America in partnership with BrLab (São Paulo) and the Festival de Morelia (Mexico). The Brazilian edition, called São Paulo Locarno Industry Academy, takes place within the schedule of the 12th BrLab, between November 24th and 27th, 2022.

The program offers a unique opportunity for the younger generation to understand the challenges of the Industry and connect with established professionals.

The Industry Academy has also expanded significantly on the international scene, offering workshops in alliance with film festivals and renowned institutions such as the Thessaloniki IFF in Greece, Film at Lincoln Center in the US, MC Distribution and BCP in Beirut, and recently the Realness Institute in South Africa.

In Latin America, the Industry Academy is present in Chile with Australab, in Mexico with the Morelia International Film Festival, in Panama with the Panama IFF, and in Brazil for 5 years, 3 of which in association with BrLab. This year, for the 4th edition of the workshop in Brazil, we have the support of Spcine, Projeto Paradiso, and a media alliance with LatAm Cinema.

In the last decade, with the development of Brazilian cinema and its frequent presence in international festivals, a new interest in the film industry has emerged, mainly as a means to reach the international market. With new technologies competing for space in movie theaters and the new content formats that have started to be produced today, the independent film industry needs to constantly reinvent itself. We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has also reinforced this need for change and restructuring.

The Industry Academy in Latin America has become an unmissable meeting place for young professionals in the Latin American industry and an essential connection between professionals in the region. After 3 editions in association with BrLab, we are proud to foster this necessary dialogue between a great diversity of Industry professionals and their producers and creators.

In 2020, for the first time, the Academy events in Latin America took place in digital format, which was a good opportunity to form a heterogeneous group and also bet on decentralization. We have a group of 12 young professionals from all over Latin America that reflects the growing need for committed training adapted to the film industry on this continent, as well as the need to understand and promote independent cinema in all its diversity.

In 2021, with Spcine’s support, a total of 12 professionals participated, working in the fields of programming, distribution, film clubs, curatorship, marketing, preservation, etc. The training program is aimed at young professionals who work in the final stage of the Latin American audiovisual industry.