Writing residencies at Casa Pantrovà: the winners are Wendy Pillonel, Olivia Ginevra Calcaterra, and Elisa Baccolo

The City of Lugano, in collaboration with Casa della Letteratura per la Svizzera italiana, the Group of Directors and Screenwriters of Italian-speaking Switzerland, the Ticino Film Commission, Castellinaria Youth Film Festival, the Locarno Film Festival, and the Office for Cultural Support of the Canton of Ticino, has awarded three residencies for screenplay projects at Casa Pantrovà in Carona. The proposals that convinced the jury the most are those of the authors Wendy Pillonel, Olivia Ginevra Calcaterra, and Elisa Baccolo.

The jury, composed of Mara Travella (Casa della Letteratura per la Svizzera italiana), Erik Bernasconi (Group of Directors and Screenwriters of Italian-speaking Switzerland), Niccolò Castelli (Ticino Film Commission), Filippo Demarchi (Castellinaria Youth Film Festival), Daniela Persico (Locarno Film Festival), Maura Käppeli (DECS-Office for Cultural Support of the Canton of Ticino), Beatrix Sartori (Youth Film Commission of the Canton of Ticino), and Laura Brenni (Culture Division City of Lugano), has selected the following projects:

Wendy Pillonel – Les Orages Magnétiques

With Les Orages Magnétiques, Wendy Pillonel leads us into an intense exploration of the transition to adulthood through the eyes of Mily, a teenager who faces the complex family dynamics and the construction of her own identity. The jury appreciated the refinement of the writing and the visual power of the story, highlighting the author's ability to convey complex emotions through precise narration. The project addresses the theme of vulnerability as a transformative force, and it was chosen for the residency dedicated to the writing of audiovisual works for young audiences.

Olivia Ginevra Calcaterra – Everything You Imagined Me to Be

In Everything You Imagined Me to Be, Olivia Ginevra Calcaterra proposes a project for a documentary that balances between intimate storytelling and historical research. Bringing to the centre the figure of the mother originally from Trinidad and Tobago, the author, raised in Carona, intends to explore the concept of loss of personal power through the prism of family memory, female mental health, and witchcraft. The author explores the repression of female power by intertwining the historical memory of the witch hunts in Ticino with the mythical figure of Gang Gang Sarah, a Caribbean healer. The jury rewarded the courage of the project and the author's sensitivity, which emerges in a complex narrative structure, built with empathy and rigour, capable of blending the personal dimension with the universal dimension.

Elisa Baccolo – Pelle

With Pelle, Elisa Baccolo projects us into a near future marked by climate catastrophes and political tensions. The protagonist, Nada, a climate activist, survives a serious accident thanks to a skin transplant, from which arises a sentimental and physical bond with the donor, Tristan. The two characters find themselves in opposition but attracted to each other in an intense and fragile relationship, which becomes a metaphor for the incommunicability and contradictions of our era. The project was chosen for its intention of a bold and ambitious conceptual and visual development. Baccolo proposes an original and layered narrative universe in which dystopia becomes a tool for political and existential reflection.

During the residency period, the winners will be able to take advantage of the coincidence with the Locarno Film Festival: for the Locarno Residency, this year, the project of Elisa Baccolo was chosen, who will thus have the opportunity to present her proposal to a jury composed of three personalities from the film industry. This jury will select three projects - two international and one Swiss - for a mentoring programme in multiple sessions organised online and in person over a year.

Wendy Pillonel, on the other hand, will be able to present her project at the next edition of the Castellinaria Youth Film Festival, during which she will have the opportunity to meet professionals from the specific sector of youth cinema.

Also, this year, in the month of August in Carona, a meeting moment will be organised to share the ongoing experience among the guests, cultural operators, and the community.