Locarno Pro Takes on the Big Issues: AI, “Algorithms and Consolidation Versus Creative Freedom”
The Locarno Film Festival's industry programme, Locarno Pro, returns for its 15th edition from 6-11 August 2026 alongside the wider 79th festival, with this year's agenda centred on how AI, data-driven power structures and industry consolidation are reshaping independent cinema. Director Markus Duffner said the topics will run throughout the programme's panels and keynotes, reflecting growing concern within the sector about algorithms and mergers squeezing out creative freedom. This matters because Locarno Pro serves as a key meeting point for financing, distribution and talent development decisions that shape the independent film landscape.
The programme opens with the traditional StepIn session examining politics, power, AI and data in independent cinema, and includes returning strands such as Open Doors (support for filmmakers from regions where artistic expression is at risk, with a second year focused on Africa covering six projects, six producers and five directors) and a First Look showcase of six Uruguayan films in post-production, run with ACAU. New additions include a Locarno Pro podcast and an Open Doors Connect scheme allowing institutions to sponsor industry professionals. Duffner expects around 2,000 accredited industry guests, roughly three-quarters from Europe, including about 800 producers, 350 buyers, 100 sales agents and 300 festival programmers, with the Locarno Investment Community also returning for its second year.
- Locarno Pro 2026 runs 6-11 August, focused on AI and consolidation
- Programme includes Open Doors, First Look Uruguay and new podcast
- Around 2,000 industry guests expected, mostly from Europe
New here? Start with this
Locarno Pro is the industry side of the Locarno Film Festival, held each year in Switzerland alongside the main festival screenings. It brings together the people who make independent cinema happen behind the scenes: producers, film buyers, sales agents and festival programmers, who use the event to strike deals, find financing and spot new talent. The 2026 edition is the 15th, running from 6 to 11 August as part of the festival's 79th year overall, and is led by director Markus Duffner.
This year's programme is built around concerns shared across the film industry about how new technology and business trends are changing who gets to make films and how they reach audiences. That includes the growing use of artificial intelligence, the influence of algorithms in deciding what gets seen, and a wave of mergers and takeovers among companies that finance and distribute films. Independent film-makers, who often rely on smaller budgets and more varied backing than major studios, are seen as particularly exposed to these shifts.
Locarno Pro also runs longer-standing initiatives alongside this year's central themes, including schemes supporting film-makers from countries where free artistic expression is difficult, and showcases for films still in production. These sit within a broader event expected to draw around 2,000 industry professionals, underlining Locarno Pro's role as one of the meeting points where decisions affecting the future shape of independent film are discussed.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of tighter scrutiny on AI and consolidation argue that unchecked algorithmic recommendation systems and mega-mergers concentrate distribution and financing power in ever fewer hands, systematically disadvantaging idiosyncratic or politically risky films that don't fit predictive engagement models. They value pluralism and see festivals like Locarno Pro as vital spaces to defend filmmakers, particularly those from regions where artistic expression is already constrained, against homogenising commercial and technological pressures. For them, proactively confronting these forces through panels, funding schemes and international networks is a necessary act of stewardship for independent cinema's survival.
The case against
Those more sceptical of framing AI and consolidation primarily as threats argue that data-driven tools and larger industry players can expand access to funding, distribution and audiences that small independent productions often struggle to reach on their own. They value pragmatism and industry sustainability, contending that consolidation can bring efficiencies and shared resources benefiting smaller producers, while AI-driven analytics can help match niche films with the right audiences rather than only serving mainstream tastes. From this view, an overly alarmist industry narrative risks discouraging useful innovation and partnerships that could otherwise strengthen independent cinema's economic footing.