Filming an Utopia
Work in Progress
Locarno Film Festival
In collaboration with PlaySuisse & SRG SSR three directors and one DOP — Swiss and internation al — will create original works at Basecamp during the Locarno Film Festival, shot entirely on 16mm film.
At the core of the project: the belief that no moment is experienced the same way twice.
This project imagines Locarno as a temporary utopia. It becomes an ephemeral space where, for ten days, people with shared passions come together to celebrate cinema, each bringing their own dreams and motivations. Each filmmaker becomes a filter, transforming shared time into something personal and unique.
Shot on Bolex, the process embraces imperfection, mindfulness, and experimentation. Final works may take the form of short films, installations, or a collaborative feature — premiering next week at Basecamp.
Participants
Anna Simonetti (1997, Switzerland):
Anna Simonetti is a film director based in Paris, whose practice of cinema, mostly 16mm film between documentary and fiction, explores the relationship that humans have with their origins and traditions in contemporary times. This work is increasingly moving towards an artistic search for moving images that are intended to be sensory and to have a non-anthropocentric point of view.
In 2021, she graduated from the University of Geneva with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences in the Department of Geography and Environment. In 2024, she completed her film studies at HEAD - Geneva (Haute école d’art et de design), where she specialized in film direction.
Her first short film, Serafina (2022), co-directed with Noa Epars, was selected at Locarno75 and the 52nd New Directors/New Films Festival in MoMA and Lincoln Center of New York. Her diploma film L’erbaccia won the Best Swiss School Film in 2024 at the 28th Internationale Kurzfilmtage Wintherthur. In 2025 Anna Simonetti, alongside Balthus Kiss took part in the latest edition of the Locarno Spring Academy with the mentors Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel.
Simone Bozzelli (1994, Italy):
Simone Bozzelli graduated in 2017 with a degree in Media Design and Multimedia Arts from NABA and in 2020 with a diploma in Directing from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. His first short films, Mio Fratello and Loris sta bene, were screened at numerous international festivals. His third short film, Amateur, was presented in competition at the 34th Venice Critics’ Week, while the following film, J’ador, won the first prize at the 35th edition of the Critics’ Week. In 2021, he directed the music video I Wanna Be Your Slave by Måneskin, which the following year won the MTV Music Award for Best Alternative Video. His fifth short film, Giochi, was presented at the 74th Locarno Film Festival. His first feature film, Patagonia, is competing in the International Competition at the 76th Locarno Film Festival.
He is currently working on his second feature film.
Sophia Schweizer (1997, Switzerland):
Sophia Schweizer, born in 1997, is a Swiss filmmaker based in Zurich. She graduated from the Zurich University of the Arts in 2023, specializing in film directing and editing. Her diploma film, A MONSTER CALLED LOVE, shot on Super 8, received a Special Mention in the Swiss Film School Day category at Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2023. Working across film, photography, and drawing, she embraces an experimental approach to form and medium.
Pablo Garrido Carreras (Spain) – DOP:
Pablo Garrido Carreras was born in Madrid. He studied Philosophy at University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. In 2021, he graduated from the London Film School, where he received the Panalux Award for Best Cinematographer of the year. As a cinematographer, he has worked on multiple short films, including Glorious Revolution by Masha Novikova, Wetsuit by Joao Salgado, or A Splinter in the Eye by Harry Hayton Iles, with screenings and awards at festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, Camerimage, Odense International Film Festival or Curtas Vila do Conde. In the music field, he has shot music videos for artists such as Quevedo, Sidonie, or Luis Fonsi. He is skilled in shooting on 16mm and 35mm film, has extensive knowledge of the film format, and enjoys thorough pre-production, ensuring a detailed planning process to enhance the visual narrative of each project. He enjoys learning everything about cinematography, keeping up to date with technological advancements, and educating his eye through regular attendance at the cinema. Currently, he combines his work in short films with advertising and music videos.
Filming an Utopia
Work in Progress
Locarno Film Festival
In collaboration with PlaySuisse & SRG SSR three directors and one DOP — Swiss and internation al — will create original works at Basecamp during the Locarno Film Festival, shot entirely on 16mm film.
At the core of the project: the belief that no moment is experienced the same way twice.
This project imagines Locarno as a temporary utopia. It becomes an ephemeral space where, for ten days, people with shared passions come together to celebrate cinema, each bringing their own dreams and motivations. Each filmmaker becomes a filter, transforming shared time into something personal and unique.
Shot on Bolex, the process embraces imperfection, mindfulness, and experimentation. Final works may take the form of short films, installations, or a collaborative feature — premiering next week at Basecamp.
Participants
Anna Simonetti (1997, Switzerland):
Anna Simonetti is a film director based in Paris, whose practice of cinema, mostly 16mm film between documentary and fiction, explores the relationship that humans have with their origins and traditions in contemporary times. This work is increasingly moving towards an artistic search for moving images that are intended to be sensory and to have a non-anthropocentric point of view.
In 2021, she graduated from the University of Geneva with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences in the Department of Geography and Environment. In 2024, she completed her film studies at HEAD - Geneva (Haute école d’art et de design), where she specialized in film direction.
Her first short film, Serafina (2022), co-directed with Noa Epars, was selected at Locarno75 and the 52nd New Directors/New Films Festival in MoMA and Lincoln Center of New York. Her diploma film L’erbaccia won the Best Swiss School Film in 2024 at the 28th Internationale Kurzfilmtage Wintherthur. In 2025 Anna Simonetti, alongside Balthus Kiss took part in the latest edition of the Locarno Spring Academy with the mentors Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel.
Simone Bozzelli (1994, Italy):
Simone Bozzelli graduated in 2017 with a degree in Media Design and Multimedia Arts from NABA and in 2020 with a diploma in Directing from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome. His first short films, Mio Fratello and Loris sta bene, were screened at numerous international festivals. His third short film, Amateur, was presented in competition at the 34th Venice Critics’ Week, while the following film, J’ador, won the first prize at the 35th edition of the Critics’ Week. In 2021, he directed the music video I Wanna Be Your Slave by Måneskin, which the following year won the MTV Music Award for Best Alternative Video. His fifth short film, Giochi, was presented at the 74th Locarno Film Festival. His first feature film, Patagonia, is competing in the International Competition at the 76th Locarno Film Festival.
He is currently working on his second feature film.
Sophia Schweizer (1997, Switzerland):
Sophia Schweizer, born in 1997, is a Swiss filmmaker based in Zurich. She graduated from the Zurich University of the Arts in 2023, specializing in film directing and editing. Her diploma film, A MONSTER CALLED LOVE, shot on Super 8, received a Special Mention in the Swiss Film School Day category at Kurzfilmtage Winterthur 2023. Working across film, photography, and drawing, she embraces an experimental approach to form and medium.
Pablo Garrido Carreras (Spain) – DOP:
Pablo Garrido Carreras was born in Madrid. He studied Philosophy at University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. In 2021, he graduated from the London Film School, where he received the Panalux Award for Best Cinematographer of the year. As a cinematographer, he has worked on multiple short films, including Glorious Revolution by Masha Novikova, Wetsuit by Joao Salgado, or A Splinter in the Eye by Harry Hayton Iles, with screenings and awards at festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, Camerimage, Odense International Film Festival or Curtas Vila do Conde. In the music field, he has shot music videos for artists such as Quevedo, Sidonie, or Luis Fonsi. He is skilled in shooting on 16mm and 35mm film, has extensive knowledge of the film format, and enjoys thorough pre-production, ensuring a detailed planning process to enhance the visual narrative of each project. He enjoys learning everything about cinematography, keeping up to date with technological advancements, and educating his eye through regular attendance at the cinema. Currently, he combines his work in short films with advertising and music videos.