Il Varco

We are thrilled to share that our last short film co-production, CITY OF OWLS by @zhenia.kazankina , will have its world premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival @festivaldecannes , in the short film competition of @semaine_de_la_critique ’s 65th edition! On the last evening before her departure, Vera is putting her small sister to bed. To hide the real reason of her leaving, she tells her a bedtime fairy tale instead. It's the story of a city swallowed by an eternal night. Supported by CNC @le_cnc and Procirep Angoa @prixduproducteurtv . An exclusive for Italy with Rai Cinema Channel @rai_cinema . A French-German-Italian co-production between Moderato @moderatofilms , *Eversince GmbH @eversince.gmbh , Il Varco Cinema, 8Production @pr8duction , Cattive Produzioni @cattiveproduzioni , Oudeis @oudeispictures , and C41 @c41prod . Directed by Zhenia Kazankina @zhenia.kazankina Produced by Clémence Crépin Neel @clemence.crpnnl , Igor Courtecuisse, Pavel Karykhalin @ceccil.b , Sergei Yahontov @yahontovs , Lev Maslov levmaslov, Andrea Gatopoulos @andreagatopoulos , Marco Crispano @marcocrispano , Laura Catalano @lauracatalano7 , Silvio Giannini @silviogiannini , Marco Mingolla @marcomingolla , Domenico Panarello @domenicopanarello90 , Stefano Schiavone @oudeis_stefano , Leone Balduzzi @leonedirector , Barbara Guieu @barbara_guieu With Vera Engalycheva @verbikus , Lera Yacenko @tev_yatsenko , Mikhail Isaev, Anastasiia Bakhtyreva nlastenka, Andrey Bystrushkin, Kamilla Khaeva @justaglare , Madlen Dzhabrailova @mad1912 , Maria Nguen @marynguen , Aleksandr Gridnev @grindnev , Daria Mureeva @murkinad , Lev Kotkin @lev_i_kot , Tanya Sarukhanova @tanyasarukhanova , Inayya Soloveychik @soloveychik_inaya , Alisa Selnikova @allone_verno , Isadora Alymkul @ajydaar , Grigory Danilov @jcarrenga , Nika Merenkova @nika.merenkova , Tatiana Afonichkina, Andrey Polyakov, Ediyar Mukanbetov, and others. Zhenia Kazankina is a director, screenwriter, and editor based in Rome, Italy. Her short films screened at Locarno, Palm Springs, ZINEBI, True/False, and others. She is an alumna of Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Spring Academy, and Reykjavík Talent Lab.

We are proud to announce that CITY OF OWLS by @zhenia.kazankina will have its world premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival @festivaldecannes , in the short film competition of @semaine_de_la_critique ’s 65th edition, entering the 2026 Gargantua short film catalog! On the last evening before her departure, Vera is putting her small sister to bed. To hide the real reason of her leaving, she tells her a bedtime fairy tale instead. It's the story of a city swallowed by an eternal night. Directed by Zhenia Kazankina @zhenia.kazankina Produced by Clémence Crépin Neel @clemence.crpnnl , Igor Courtecuisse, Pavel Karykhalin @ceccil.b , Sergei Yahontov @yahontovs , Lev Maslov levmaslov, Andrea Gatopoulos @andreagatopoulos , Marco Crispano @marcocrispano , Laura Catalano @lauracatalano7 , Silvio Giannini @silviogiannini , Marco Mingolla @marcomingolla , Domenico Panarello @domenicopanarello90 , Stefano Schiavone @oudeis_stefano , Leone Balduzzi @leonedirector , Barbara Guieu @barbara_guieu Supported by CNC @le_cnc and Procirep Angoa @prixduproducteurtv , CITY OF OWLS is a French-German-Italian co-production between Moderato @moderatofilms , *Eversince GmbH @eversince.gmbh , Il Varco Cinema @ilvarco , 8Production @pr8duction , Cattive Produzioni @cattiveproduzioni , Oudeis @oudeispictures , and C41 @c41prod . An exclusive for Italy with Rai Cinema Channel @rai_cinema . With Vera Engalycheva @verbikus , Lera Yacenko @tev_yatsenko , Mikhail Isaev, Anastasiia Bakhtyreva nlastenka, Andrey Bystrushkin, Kamilla Khaeva @justaglare , Madlen Dzhabrailova @mad1912 , Maria Nguen @marynguen , Aleksandr Gridnev @grindnev , Daria Mureeva @murkinad , Lev Kotkin @lev_i_kot , Tanya Sarukhanova @tanyasarukhanova , Inayya Soloveychik @soloveychik_inaya , Alisa Selnikova @allone_verno , Isadora Alymkul @ajydaar , Grigory Danilov @jcarrenga , Nika Merenkova @nika.merenkova , Tatiana Afonichkina, Andrey Polyakov, Ediyar Mukanbetov, and others. Zhenia Kazankina is a director, screenwriter, and editor based in Rome, Italy. Her short films screened at Locarno, Palm Springs, ZINEBI, True/False, and others. She is an alumna of Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Spring Academy, and Reykjavík Talent Lab.

We are thrilled to share that our last short film co-production, CITY OF OWLS by @zhenia.kazankina , will have its world premiere at the 79th Cannes Film Festival @festivaldecannes , in the short film competition of @semaine_de_la_critique ’s 65th edition! On the last evening before her departure, Vera is putting her small sister to bed. To hide the real reason of her leaving, she tells her a bedtime fairy tale instead. It's the story of a city swallowed by an eternal night. Supported by CNC @le_cnc and Procirep Angoa @prixduproducteurtv . An exclusive for Italy with Rai Cinema Channel @rai_cinema . A French-German-Italian co-production between Moderato @moderatofilms , *Eversince GmbH @eversince.gmbh , Il Varco Cinema, 8Production @pr8duction , Cattive Produzioni @cattiveproduzioni , Oudeis @oudeispictures , and C41 @c41prod . Directed by Zhenia Kazankina @zhenia.kazankina Produced by Clémence Crépin Neel @clemence.crpnnl , Igor Courtecuisse, Pavel Karykhalin @ceccil.b , Sergei Yahontov @yahontovs , Lev Maslov levmaslov, Andrea Gatopoulos @andreagatopoulos , Marco Crispano @marcocrispano , Laura Catalano @lauracatalano7 , Silvio Giannini @silviogiannini , Marco Mingolla @marcomingolla , Domenico Panarello @domenicopanarello90 , Stefano Schiavone @oudeis_stefano , Leone Balduzzi @leonedirector , Barbara Guieu @barbara_guieu With Vera Engalycheva @verbikus , Lera Yacenko @tev_yatsenko , Mikhail Isaev, Anastasiia Bakhtyreva nlastenka, Andrey Bystrushkin, Kamilla Khaeva @justaglare , Madlen Dzhabrailova @mad1912 , Maria Nguen @marynguen , Aleksandr Gridnev @grindnev , Daria Mureeva @murkinad , Lev Kotkin @lev_i_kot , Tanya Sarukhanova @tanyasarukhanova , Inayya Soloveychik @soloveychik_inaya , Alisa Selnikova @allone_verno , Isadora Alymkul @ajydaar , Grigory Danilov @jcarrenga , Nika Merenkova @nika.merenkova , Tatiana Afonichkina, Andrey Polyakov, Ediyar Mukanbetov, and others. Zhenia Kazankina is a director, screenwriter, and editor based in Rome, Italy. Her short films screened at Locarno, Palm Springs, ZINEBI, True/False, and others. She is an alumna of Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Spring Academy, and Reykjavík Talent Lab.

A family taboo, a missing story. Using 25 photographs, a nephew reconstructs the life story of  Michele, an uncle lost to HIV and heroin in 1980s–90s Italy. Guided by his mother’s warm  memories and the cold gaze of AI, he reflects on memory, the value of images, and what remains  unspoken. We are proud to announce that L’UOMO PIÙ BELLO DEL MONDO by Paolo Baiguera — a Il Varco production conceived during @nouvellebug workshop vol.4 — will have its World Premiere at the 76th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin @berlinaleforum , an Oscar, EFA, and BAFTA qualifying festival! An Italian exclusive with @rai_cinema Channel Directed by @paolobaiguera Production @ilvarco , @ringfilm , @cinqueesei Producers @andreagatopoulos Tommaso Bertani @grazianochiscuzzu Mix Audio Marco Falloni Marta Billingsley Graphic design @stucchi_di_giulia Developed in workshop @NouvelleBug vol. 4 Revine Lago – 2025 Hosted by @lagofilmfest 
Propelled by by @piattaforma_lago Artistic director @andreagatopoulos Workshop producer @marcocrispano Producer assistant @carnio_elena Tutors @andreagatopoulos @gala__hernandez @totalrefusal @ismael_jchandoutis Development tutor @antonio_la_camera Paolo Baiguera (born 1998) is a director and filmmaker. He has worked on a range of productions  with companies including Sky, Rai, Kon-Tiki Film, Indigo Film, ANG Film, and Ring Film. Since  2023, he has been collaborating with Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis on the feature  Testa o Croce? (Heads or Tails?), selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film  Festival. His debut short film El Pütì Pèrs (The Lost Child) premiered at the 2025 Venice  International Film Critics’ Week where it received a special mention.

A family taboo, a missing story. Using 25 photographs, a nephew reconstructs the life story of  Michele, an uncle lost to HIV and heroin in 1980s–90s Italy. Guided by his mother’s warm  memories and the cold gaze of AI, he reflects on memory, the value of images, and what remains  unspoken. We are proud to announce that L’UOMO PIÙ BELLO DEL MONDO by Paolo Baiguera — a Il Varco production conceived during @nouvellebug workshop vol.4 — will have its World Premiere at the 76th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin @berlinaleforum , an Oscar, EFA, and BAFTA qualifying festival! An Italian exclusive with @rai_cinema Channel Directed by @paolobaiguera Production @ilvarco , @ringfilm , @cinqueesei Producers @andreagatopoulos Tommaso Bertani @grazianochiscuzzu Mix Audio Marco Falloni Marta Billingsley Graphic design @stucchi_di_giulia Developed in workshop @NouvelleBug vol. 4 Revine Lago – 2025 Hosted by @lagofilmfest 
Propelled by by @piattaforma_lago Artistic director @andreagatopoulos Workshop producer @marcocrispano Producer assistant @carnio_elena Tutors @andreagatopoulos @gala__hernandez @totalrefusal @ismael_jchandoutis Development tutor @antonio_la_camera Paolo Baiguera (born 1998) is a director and filmmaker. He has worked on a range of productions  with companies including Sky, Rai, Kon-Tiki Film, Indigo Film, ANG Film, and Ring Film. Since  2023, he has been collaborating with Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis on the feature  Testa o Croce? (Heads or Tails?), selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film  Festival. His debut short film El Pütì Pèrs (The Lost Child) premiered at the 2025 Venice  International Film Critics’ Week where it received a special mention.

A family taboo, a missing story. Using 25 photographs, a nephew reconstructs the life story of  Michele, an uncle lost to HIV and heroin in 1980s–90s Italy. Guided by his mother’s warm  memories and the cold gaze of AI, he reflects on memory, the value of images, and what remains  unspoken. We are proud to announce that L’UOMO PIÙ BELLO DEL MONDO by Paolo Baiguera — a Il Varco production conceived during @nouvellebug workshop vol.4 — will have its World Premiere at the 76th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin @berlinaleforum , an Oscar, EFA, and BAFTA qualifying festival! An Italian exclusive with @rai_cinema Channel Directed by @paolobaiguera Production @ilvarco , @ringfilm , @cinqueesei Producers @andreagatopoulos Tommaso Bertani @grazianochiscuzzu Mix Audio Marco Falloni Marta Billingsley Graphic design @stucchi_di_giulia Developed in workshop @NouvelleBug vol. 4 Revine Lago – 2025 Hosted by @lagofilmfest 
Propelled by by @piattaforma_lago Artistic director @andreagatopoulos Workshop producer @marcocrispano Producer assistant @carnio_elena Tutors @andreagatopoulos @gala__hernandez @totalrefusal @ismael_jchandoutis Development tutor @antonio_la_camera Paolo Baiguera (born 1998) is a director and filmmaker. He has worked on a range of productions  with companies including Sky, Rai, Kon-Tiki Film, Indigo Film, ANG Film, and Ring Film. Since  2023, he has been collaborating with Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis on the feature  Testa o Croce? (Heads or Tails?), selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film  Festival. His debut short film El Pütì Pèrs (The Lost Child) premiered at the 2025 Venice  International Film Critics’ Week where it received a special mention.

Per la capacità di unire visione artistica, ricerca tecnologica e sensibilità produttiva, contribuendo a ridefinire il futuro del cinema indipendente, Andrea Gatopoulos e Marco Crispano de Il Varco si aggiudicano il Premio al Miglior Produttore Cinematografico Emergente Under 40 – Chioma di Berenice. 🏆🎬 La loro ricerca si distingue per la capacità di esplorare le nuove tecnologie e le modalità produttive emergenti, con uno sguardo sempre innovativo e internazionale. Questo approccio li ha portati a essere selezionati e premiati nei più importanti festival del mondo, tra cui Locarno, Cannes e Venezia, consolidando la loro posizione come una delle realtà più vivaci del panorama cinematografico italiano. In particolare, il cortometraggio The Eggregores’ Theory, da loro prodotto, presentato alla Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, candidato ai David di Donatello e agli European Film Awards, e qualificato agli Oscar 2026, ha generato una riflessione profonda a livello nazionale e internazionale sui nuovi confini dell’arte e della narrazione cinematografica nell’era dell’intelligenza artificiale. Tra le loro produzioni di lungometraggio si distinguono inoltre i documentari A Stranger Quest (regia di Gatopoulos), presentato al Torino Film Festival, Sacro Moderno di Lorenzo Pallotta, presentato ad Alice nella Città, e Lumina di Samuele Sestrieri, presentato al Rotterdam International Film Festival.

2015-2025 Il Varco è stato premiato con la Chioma di Berenice come miglior produzione emergente italiana Under 40! Grazie a @cnacinema @gianlucacurti1 , @claudio_piranesi , @sabinarussillo per questo premio al progetto a cui abbiamo dedicato tutta la nostra vita. È per noi un riconoscimento al lavoro che in questi dieci anni ci ha portato a trasformare una visione nella realtà che oggi ci rappresenta. Questo premio funziona per me come un piccolo simbolo: mi fa sentire profondamente grato a tutte le persone che hanno fatto parte di questi anni stupendi e che mi hanno insegnato che cos’è il cinema. Se qualcuno, dieci anni fa, vedendo questa vecchia foto, mi avesse detto cosa sarebbe successo in tutti questi anni, lo avrei preso per pazzo! E nononostante il futuro sembri sempre più accidentato, sognare nuovi progetti e nuovi film è tutto quello di cui c’è bisogno per andare avanti. @ilvarco sta per aprire una nuova fase, presto inizieremo a sviluppare progetti di lungometraggio in co-produzione con l’Europa. In un modo o nell’altro, saranno anni eccitanti e misteriosi! Fiat Lux!

Per la capacità di unire visione artistica, ricerca tecnologica e sensibilità produttiva, contribuendo a ridefinire il futuro del cinema indipendente, Andrea Gatopoulos e Marco Crispano de Il Varco si aggiudicano il Premio al Miglior Produttore Cinematografico Emergente Under 40 – Chioma di Berenice. 🏆🎬 La loro ricerca si distingue per la capacità di esplorare le nuove tecnologie e le modalità produttive emergenti, con uno sguardo sempre innovativo e internazionale. Questo approccio li ha portati a essere selezionati e premiati nei più importanti festival del mondo, tra cui Locarno, Cannes e Venezia, consolidando la loro posizione come una delle realtà più vivaci del panorama cinematografico italiano. In particolare, il cortometraggio The Eggregores’ Theory, da loro prodotto, presentato alla Mostra del Cinema di Venezia, candidato ai David di Donatello e agli European Film Awards, e qualificato agli Oscar 2026, ha generato una riflessione profonda a livello nazionale e internazionale sui nuovi confini dell’arte e della narrazione cinematografica nell’era dell’intelligenza artificiale. Tra le loro produzioni di lungometraggio si distinguono inoltre i documentari A Stranger Quest (regia di Gatopoulos), presentato al Torino Film Festival, Sacro Moderno di Lorenzo Pallotta, presentato ad Alice nella Città, e Lumina di Samuele Sestrieri, presentato al Rotterdam International Film Festival.

In a vast empty gym, where silence weighs and light plays with long, elusive shadows, Iris and Lea play hide and seek. Time suspends, a plane approaches, and reality transforms. LE MUR DU SON, written and directed by @antonio_la_camera during the Locarno Spring Academy 2025 is set to premiere in a special out-of-competition event at the 78. @filmfestlocarno . A production by Locarno Film Festival, @cisa_locarno @rsionline @ticinofilmcommission in collaboration with Il Varco Cinema, @waterclockproduction and @isola.produzioni . starring @ile_42 Luna Scolari story by Antonio La Camera, Andrea Gatopoulos Colorist: @alessio_zanardi_colorist Sound editing: @nicopalerm | Sound mix: @tommy.barbaro | Post audio: @fullcode_sound Bird call performances by Luna Solari, Francesco Sottile Title design: @marina_rossi__ | @fedrahub Festival distribution and sales: @gargantua_distribution Antonio La Camera (1990) is an Italian director and screenwriter.
His short films have been screened at over 150 national and international festivals, earning more than 40 awards worldwide. In 2022, he was selected for the prestigious CreatorsLab, where he shot the Italo-Spanish short film “Las Memorias Perdidas de los Árboles” in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest under the mentorship of legendary filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival. The film had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (2023) as part of the 38th International Critics' Week, where it won the Best Short Film Award. His feature film project “Demoni & Polvere” was selected for the InProgress 2024 development lab organized by Milano Film Network, where it was developed under the guidance of Michelangelo Frammartino. In 2025, he was selected for the Locarno Spring Academy, where he directed the short film “Le Mur du Son” under the mentorship of Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel. The film will premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival. He is currently working on the post-production of his new short film Primo Sangue and is collaborating on the writing of the feature film “I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends” by Andrea Benjamin Manenti.

In a vast empty gym, where silence weighs and light plays with long, elusive shadows, Iris and Lea play hide and seek. Time suspends, a plane approaches, and reality transforms. LE MUR DU SON, written and directed by @antonio_la_camera during the Locarno Spring Academy 2025 is set to premiere in a special out-of-competition event at the 78. @filmfestlocarno . A production by Locarno Film Festival, @cisa_locarno @rsionline @ticinofilmcommission in collaboration with Il Varco Cinema, @waterclockproduction and @isola.produzioni . starring @ile_42 Luna Scolari story by Antonio La Camera, Andrea Gatopoulos Colorist: @alessio_zanardi_colorist Sound editing: @nicopalerm | Sound mix: @tommy.barbaro | Post audio: @fullcode_sound Bird call performances by Luna Solari, Francesco Sottile Title design: @marina_rossi__ | @fedrahub Festival distribution and sales: @gargantua_distribution Antonio La Camera (1990) is an Italian director and screenwriter.
His short films have been screened at over 150 national and international festivals, earning more than 40 awards worldwide. In 2022, he was selected for the prestigious CreatorsLab, where he shot the Italo-Spanish short film “Las Memorias Perdidas de los Árboles” in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest under the mentorship of legendary filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival. The film had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (2023) as part of the 38th International Critics' Week, where it won the Best Short Film Award. His feature film project “Demoni & Polvere” was selected for the InProgress 2024 development lab organized by Milano Film Network, where it was developed under the guidance of Michelangelo Frammartino. In 2025, he was selected for the Locarno Spring Academy, where he directed the short film “Le Mur du Son” under the mentorship of Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel. The film will premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival. He is currently working on the post-production of his new short film Primo Sangue and is collaborating on the writing of the feature film “I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends” by Andrea Benjamin Manenti.

In a vast empty gym, where silence weighs and light plays with long, elusive shadows, Iris and Lea play hide and seek. Time suspends, a plane approaches, and reality transforms. LE MUR DU SON, written and directed by @antonio_la_camera during the Locarno Spring Academy 2025 is set to premiere in a special out-of-competition event at the 78. @filmfestlocarno . A production by Locarno Film Festival, @cisa_locarno @rsionline @ticinofilmcommission in collaboration with Il Varco Cinema, @waterclockproduction and @isola.produzioni . starring @ile_42 Luna Scolari story by Antonio La Camera, Andrea Gatopoulos Colorist: @alessio_zanardi_colorist Sound editing: @nicopalerm | Sound mix: @tommy.barbaro | Post audio: @fullcode_sound Bird call performances by Luna Solari, Francesco Sottile Title design: @marina_rossi__ | @fedrahub Festival distribution and sales: @gargantua_distribution Antonio La Camera (1990) is an Italian director and screenwriter.
His short films have been screened at over 150 national and international festivals, earning more than 40 awards worldwide. In 2022, he was selected for the prestigious CreatorsLab, where he shot the Italo-Spanish short film “Las Memorias Perdidas de los Árboles” in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest under the mentorship of legendary filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival. The film had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival (2023) as part of the 38th International Critics' Week, where it won the Best Short Film Award. His feature film project “Demoni & Polvere” was selected for the InProgress 2024 development lab organized by Milano Film Network, where it was developed under the guidance of Michelangelo Frammartino. In 2025, he was selected for the Locarno Spring Academy, where he directed the short film “Le Mur du Son” under the mentorship of Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel. The film will premiere at the 78th Locarno Film Festival. He is currently working on the post-production of his new short film Primo Sangue and is collaborating on the writing of the feature film “I Have to Fuck Before the World Ends” by Andrea Benjamin Manenti.