“If you decide to be a producer in the independent world, don’t do it for the money.” Producer Marco Perego didn’t mince words during a Locarno Pro keynote appearance. If money is all you care about, “go [work for] a bank.” The Italian native, conceptual artist and movie lover made his feature directorial debut in 2023 with The Absence of Eden, starring his wife, Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña. Perego then launched the production company Leaf Entertainment with Michael Cerenzie. Its goal: back the best global auteurs to help them get their projects made. At Cannes this year, Perego had three competition films: Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner…
