March 23, 2026

This year, young filmmakers in the First Time competition section come with the courage that only a first feature film can afford. No compromises, no “safe” formulas – just strong stories that resonate at major festivals and in cinemas. From dark love in Belarus to an absurd war in the desert to a spiritual escape to Peru. This is this year’s harvest of seven European firsts that you shouldn’t miss.

White Snail (Austria/Germany, dir. Elsa Kremser & Levin Peter)

The directorial duo, who became famous for their documentaries about Moscow’s stray dogs (Space Dogs), have made their first feature film. This dark, hypnotic romance from Minsk follows Belarusian model Masha and morgue night watchman Misha – two outsiders whose meeting shakes up their ideas about the body, beauty and death. Inspired by a real visit to a morgue. Premiere in Locarno, later in Sarajevo. A fragile yet harsh film about how love can be born from the strangest places.

Weightless (Vægtløs, Denmark, dir. Emilie Thalund)

Fifteen-year-old Lea spends the summer at a health camp by the sea. She wants to lose weight, but discovers desire – and a grown man who sees her differently than he should. A fragile, intimate generational statement about the body she learns to want. The film won the debut competition at the 2025 San Sebastian Festival. A pure, uncompromising coming-of-age that neither belittles nor condemns.

Julian (Belgium, dir. Cato Kusters)

A fragile lesbian drama about a couple trying to maintain their love in the face of reality. Special Jury Prize at Locarno. An intimate, sensitive and very contemporary look at a relationship in which love collides with everyday pressures.

I Love Peru (France, dir. Raphaël Quenard & Hugo David)

A wild mockumentary trip about an actor who loses everything in the pursuit of fame and ego – and runs away to the other side of the world. A playful, self-deprecating and sometimes cruelly funny film that pokes fun at the film industry, influencers and his own narcissism. An ideal relief between heavier debuts.

Straight Circle (UK, dir. Oscar Hudson)

An absurd comedy about two soldiers on opposite sides of a desert border. They are waiting for an enemy who never comes. Black humour, brilliant timing and a sharp criticism of the meaninglessness of war. The film shone in the Critics' Week section in Venice. A British debut that reminds us that war can also be absurdly ridiculous.

In the Reeds (Netherlands, dir. Sven Bresser)

An atmospheric crime film set in the Dutch reed fields. Debutant Sven Bresser builds paranoid tension in an environment we know more from nature documentaries than thrillers. Filmically unwatched, suffocating and visually exceptional.

Wolves (Switzerland, dir. Jonas Ulrich)

A love story from the black metal subculture. A teenage girl falls in love with the charismatic singer of a band who doesn't even hide his dark side. A raw, intense and very authentic look into a world where music, rituals and love merge into one.

The First Time section this year shows that a European debut can be bold, sensitive, funny and dark at the same time. The films compete for the Best Film Debut award (a glass cylinder by Zdeněk Vacek). Which one will appeal to you the most?

Follow the program – screenings are taking place in Prague, Brno, Ostrava and other cities until April 19.