Primo Viaggio, an Italian-French co-production that made its first public appearance at the Locarno Film Festival's Alliance 4 Development platform last year, has completed principal photography and is now positioning itself for the Venice Gap-Financing Market. The film was shot across three Mediterranean cities — Naples, Málaga, and Marseille — over the course of June and July. Produced by Italy's Sacher Film and France's Halley Production, the project has moved with notable speed from co-development pitch to finished shoot.
- 1Primo Viaggio was written and directed by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman
- 2Principal photography took place across Naples, Málaga, and Marseille between June and July
- 3The film is a co-production between Italy's Sacher Film and France's Halley Production
- 4The project was initially presented at Locarno's Alliance 4 Development co-development platform less than a year ago
From Locarno Pitch to Completed Production
The turnaround from co-development pitch to completed shoot is a relatively swift one by independent film standards. Locarno's Alliance 4 Development is a co-development platform designed specifically to bridge European production partners, giving emerging and mid-career filmmakers access to potential collaborators and financiers from across the continent. Projects selected for the platform typically use the visibility to secure the international partnerships needed to move forward — and Primo Viaggio appears to have done exactly that.
The fact that Sacher Film and Halley Production managed to finalize a co-production structure, secure locations across three countries, and complete the shoot within roughly twelve months of their Locarno meeting speaks to the strength of the project and the efficiency of both companies. Cross-border European co-productions often require extended negotiation around financing, tax incentives, and creative control, making this timeline particularly noteworthy for observers of the international indie film space.
A Mediterranean Canvas: Shooting Across Three Cities
The decision to shoot across Naples, Málaga, and Marseille gives Primo Viaggio a distinctly pan-Mediterranean visual identity. Each of these cities carries its own cultural weight — Naples with its layered history and cinematic legacy, Málaga as a sun-drenched Andalusian port city, and Marseille as France's gritty, multicultural southern gateway. Together they suggest a story that moves across borders, possibly exploring themes of journey, migration, or cultural displacement, though the filmmakers have not confirmed specific narrative details.
Shooting on location across multiple countries also introduces logistical complexity that productions of this scale must carefully manage. From varying permit requirements to shifting crew compositions under local labor rules, international location shoots demand strong line producing and coordination between the two production companies. That the film wrapped on schedule across such varied geography indicates solid infrastructure behind the creative vision of directors Cassigoli and Kauffman.
Venice Gap-Financing Market and What's Next
With the shoot now complete, the production's next strategic move is to attend the Venice Gap-Financing Market, one of the most important annual gatherings for completed or near-completed independent films seeking final funding to close their budgets. Gap financing refers to the practice of securing loans or investment against projected sales revenues, and the Venice market gives producers direct access to international sales agents, distributors, and specialized film financiers who can assess a project's commercial potential.
For a film like Primo Viaggio — a European arthouse co-production with a multi-country footprint and festival pedigree — the Venice market is a natural and well-suited environment. Films that have already demonstrated momentum through platforms like Alliance 4 Development tend to attract stronger interest from buyers who see the festival endorsement as a marker of quality. If the project secures its remaining financing and finds the right sales representation, a festival premiere in the near term becomes a realistic prospect.
Why it matters
Primo Viaggio illustrates how European co-development platforms like Locarno's Alliance 4 Development can efficiently connect production partners across borders and accelerate projects toward completion. For the broader independent film industry, its journey from pitch to post-production in under a year offers a case study in how structured festival markets can reduce the traditional lag between creative development and physical production. The film's appearance at the Venice Gap-Financing Market will be a key test of international buyer appetite for European arthouse co-productions.
Common questions
What is the Locarno Alliance 4 Development platform?
Alliance 4 Development is a co-development initiative run as part of the Locarno Film Festival that connects filmmakers and producers from different European countries to foster international co-productions. It is designed to help projects secure the cross-border partnerships and early financing needed to move from development into production. Projects selected for the platform gain visibility with a broad network of industry professionals.
What is the Venice Gap-Financing Market and why does it matter for this film?
The Venice Gap-Financing Market is a film industry event held alongside the Venice Film Festival where producers of completed or near-completed films seek final funding to close budget gaps, often through loans secured against future sales. For Primo Viaggio, participation in this market is a key step toward securing the remaining financing and finding international distribution partners. Success there could pave the way for a festival premiere and wider theatrical release.