LOCARNO & VENICE 2025: Titles Selected From Asia, Africa & Midde East
Below is a list of films selected for the main sections of Locarno and Venice film festivals, originating from or mostly filmed in Asia, Africa and the Middle East (or from filmmakers originating from these regions but based elsewhere) with sales agents and nationalities of co-production partners where known. More soon on line-ups for Toronto and San Sebastian. **This list is a work in progress so please DM me if you have updates or additions.**
LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL [AUGUST 6-16]
CONCORSO INTERNAZIONALE:
[INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION]
Tales Of The Wounded Land (Lebanon)
Dir: Abbas Fahdel
Prod: Nour Ballouk Co
Two Seasons, Two Strangers (Japan)
Dir: Sho Miyake
Int’l sales: Bitters End
With Hasan In Gaza (Palestine, Germany, France, Qatar)
Dir: Kamal Aljafari
Prod: Kamal Aljafari Productions
Yakushima’s Illusion (France, Japan, Belgium, Luxembourg)
Dir: Naomi Kawase
Int’l sales: Cinefrance International
CONCORSO CINEASTI DEL PRESENTE:
[FILMMAKERS OF THE PRESENT COMPETITION]
Becoming (France, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden)
Dir: Zhannat Alshanova
Prod: Films de Force Majeure, Accidental Films
The Fin (South Korea, Germany, Qatar)
Dir: Park Syeyong
Int’l sales: Coproduction Office
Hair, Paper, Water (Beligum, France, Vietnam)
Dir: Nicolas Graux, Truong Minh Quy
Int’l sales: Lights On
PIAZZA GRANDE:
Irkalla - Gilgamesh’s Dream (Iraq, UAE, Qatar, France, UK, Saudi)
Dir: Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji
Prod: Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Iraqi Independent Film Center
It Was Just An Accident (Iran, France, Luxembourg)
Dir: Jafar Panahi
Int’l sales: MK2 Films
The Little Sister (France, Germany)
Dir: Hafsia Herzi
Int’l sales: MK2 Films
Police Story (Hong Kong, 1985)
Dir: Jackie Chan
Int’l sales: Fortune Star Media
Together Australia (US)
Dir: Michael Shanks
Int’l sales: Neon International
PARDI DO DOMANI CONCORSE INTERNAZIONALE:
[LEOPARDS OF TOMORROW INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION]
Baisanos (Chile, France, Palestine)
Dirs: Andres Khamis Giacomon, Francisa Khamis Giacoman
Prod: Brisa Films
Blind Into The Eye (Germany, Iran)
Dir: Atefeh Kheirabadi, Mehrad Sepahnia
Prod: Realillusion
Force Time Displacement (Taiwan)
Dir: Angel Wu
Prod: Future Connect, Bertisdrawing
Honey, My Love, So Sweet (Philippines)
Dir: JT Trinidad
Int’l sales: Inwave Films
Yo Yo (Iran, France)
Dir: Mohammadreza Mayghani
Int’l sales: Solal Films Distributor
PARDI DI DOMANI CONCORSO CORTI D’AUTORE:
[LEOPARDS OF TOMORROW SHORT FILM COMPETITION]
A Very Straight Neck (Japan, China)
Dir: Neo Sora
Int’l sales: Parallax Films
Cairo Streets (France)
Dir: Abdellah Taia
Int’l sales: Shortcuts
The Sleeping Beauty (US, Laos, Thailand)
Dir: Mattie Do
Prod: Very Scary Tales, Wayward Entertainment
A South Facing Window (France, Mongolia)
Dir: Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
Int’l sales: Shortcuts
FUORI CONCORSE:
[OUT OF COMPETITION]
Exile (Tunisia, Luxembourg, France, Qatar, Saudi)
Dir: Mehdi Hmili
Int’l sales: Mad World
Some Notes On The Current Situation (Israel)
Dir: Eran Kolirin
Prod: Moon Over Bat Yam Productions
VENICE FILM FESTIVAL [AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 6]
VENICE COMPETITION:
Girl (Taiwan)
Dir: Shu Qi
Int’l sales: Goodfellas
No Other Choice (Korea)
Dir: Park Chan-wook
Int’l sales: CJ ENM
The Sun Rises On Us All (China)
Dir: Cai Shangjun
Int’l sales: Tianjin Maoyan Weying Media
The Voice Of Hind Rajab (Tunisia, France)
Dir: Kaouther Ben Hania
Int’l sales: The Party Film Sales
VENICE OUT OF COMPETITION - FICTION:
Hateshinaki Scarlet (Japan)
Dir: Mamoru Hosoda
Int’l distribution: Sony Pictures
VENICE OUT OF COMPETITION - NON-FICTION:
Back Home (Taiwan)
Dir: Tsai Ming-liang
Kabul Between Prayers (Netherlands, Belgium)
Dir: Aboozar Amini
Prod: Silk Road Film Salon, Clin d'oeil films
My Father And Qaddafi (US, Libya)
Dir: Jihan K
Int’l sales: Mad World
VENICE HORIZONS [ORIZZONTI]:
Divine Comedy (Iran, Italy, France, Germany, Turkey)
Dir: Ali Asgari
Int’l sales: Goodfellas
Grand Ciel (France, Luxembourg)
Dir: Akihiro Hata
Int’l sales: WTFilms
Human Resource (Thailand)
Dir: Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit
Int’l sales: GDH 559
Lost Land (Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany)
Dir: Akio Fujimoto
Prod: E.x.N K.K.
Songs Of Forgotten Trees (India)
Dir: Anuparna Roy
Prod: Flip Films
VENICE SPOTLIGHT:
Hijra (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, UK)
Dir: Shahad Ameen
Int’l sales: Film Clinic, CAA Media Finance
VENICE CRITICS WEEK:
Cotton Queen (Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi)
Dir: Suzannah Mirghani
Int’l dist: Mad Solutions, Film Clinic (MENA region)
Roqia (Algeria, France, Qatar, Saudi)
Dir: Yanis Koussim
Int’l sales: Alpha Violet
VENICE DAYS:
[GIORNATE DEGLI AUTORI]
A Sad And Beautiful World (Lebanon, US, Germany, Saudi, Qatar)
Dir: Cyril Aris
Int’l sales: Paradise City Sales
Inside Amir (Iran)
Dir: Amir Azizi
Memory Of Princess Mumbi (Kenya, Saudi, Switzerland)
Dir: Damien Hauser
Toronto and San Sebastian film festival line-ups coming soon...
