At Locarno Pro, a Panel Weighed Whether Film Discovery Can Be Sequenced Like Data

Locarno Pro, the industry forum operating alongside Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival, hosted a discussion titled “Power. People. Data. But in Which Order?” that focused on how film companies identify projects and position them for audiences. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the panel brought together executives associated with mk2, Design Otherwise, and Lucky Red to examine how “power” films emerge, and whether the ordering of human judgment and data inputs changes outcomes for buyers and viewers.

The conversation centered on the idea that films can carry force that neither marketing metrics nor technical analysis easily predicts. In the report, panelists name-checked Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Ida” and Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” as examples of films that, in the panel’s framing, demonstrated a level of impact that data or algorithms might not have singled out first.

Panelists also addressed the practical realities of industry decision-making, the report said, describing how teams translate indicates from audiences, catalogs, and marketplace patterns into internal rankings and commercial plans. The discussion questioned whether putting “data” ahead of “people” or “power” is the right sequence for understanding what will connect, particularly when films depend on artistic specificity and cultural context.

While the report did not present a unified conclusion, it did portray a split in emphasis among participants. Some viewpoints, as characterized by The Hollywood Reporter, suggested that data can help narrow options and refine strategies, while others argued that experience, relationships, and editorial instinct are essential for recognizing projects that may not fit typical statistical profiles.

The panel was situated within Locarno Pro’s broader role as a deal-making and networking venue during the festival. The Hollywood Reporter described the session as part of Locarno Pro programming aimed at industry professionals, including film buyers, sales agents, producers, and distribution executives who attend to evaluate projects and negotiate rights.

A central throughline in the discussion, as reported, was the interaction between algorithmic tools and the human processes used to select, package, and promote films internationally. By pointing to “Ida” and “Moonlight,” the panel underscored how widely known films can still appear to defy simple prediction models, raising questions for industry participants about what should come first when teams decide what to champion.

For industry attendees, the session functioned less as a technical tutorial and more as a prompt for organizations that rely on both market indicators and professional judgment. The practical next step, based on the panel’s premise, is for companies to revisit how they evaluate projects, what data they use, who interprets it, and how those choices affect which films receive marketing support and distribution pathways during and after festival presentations.