Locarno First Look: ‘De Noche Los Gatos Son Pardos,’ ‘Semret,’ ‘Reduit’ Win Prizes
John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentValentin Merz’s “De Noche los Gatos Son Pardos” scooped the biggest prize, the Cinegrell First Look Award, at this year’s Locarno Festival First Look pix-in-post competition, one of its industry centerpieces.Now in its tenth edition, First Look’s focus this year was Switzerland with a jury and industry audience given the chance to preview six upcoming Swiss feature films at various stages of rough or final cut.The Cinegrell First Look Award consists in SFr 50,000 ($54,500) of post-production services from Cinegrell, a Zurich-based services and restoration company.Merz’s second feature, after the time and character-hopping “A Vulgar Adventure,” “De Noche” turns on Valentin, a film director, who