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« OPEN SPACE : Cinema in Piazza Grande» : three pre-Festival evenings July 30 – August 1, 2010.
The summer event « Open Space: Cinema in Piazza Grande » returns for its third edition with films chosen by the Artistic direction of the Festival del film Locarno.
Preserata: free film on the Piazza Grande with "La nostra vita"
Thanks to the support of CSS Assurance, the Festival del film Locarno is once again happy to offer the audience a free screening on the Piazza Grande the night before the event’s official opening.
Rights acquired for two films in the Concorso internazionale
The Industry Office of the Festival del film Locarno is delighted to report that distribution rights for two of the films in the Concorso internazionale have been acquired following the announcement of the selection for the 2010 edition.
Excellence Award Moët & Chandon to Chiara Mastroianni
The Festival del film Locarno will confer the Excellence Award Möet & Chandon to the French actress Chiara Mastroianni. The presentation ceremony will be on Friday 6 August in the Piazza Grande, the following day the public will have an opportunity to attend a discussion with the actress.
XI Film Summer School
True as Fiction: Cinema between Narration and Representations of the Real
Locarno, 2 - 6 August, 2010
The Faculty of Communication Sciences of the Università della Svizzera italiana and the Festival del film Locarno organise a Summer School to analyse fiction and non-fiction cinema. The Summer School is part of Réseau Cinéma CH, a Swiss university consortium promoting two Master of Arts programs in Film Studies and Filmmaking.
Initial announcements for the Concorso internazionale 2010
With three weeks still to go before the press conference, the first two titles for the Concorso internazionale (International Competition) 2010 have already been confirmed.
Farewell to Corso Salani
The Locarno team were deeply saddened to hear of the death of the Italian actor and director Corso Salani.
John C. Reilly and Philippe Parreno to attend the Festival
The Festival del film Locarno is proud to announce some of the initial titles and events in this year’s Piazza Grande line-up.
Pardo d’onore Swisscom to JIA Zhang-ke
The Chinese director JIA Zhang-ke will be one of the guests of honour at the next edition of the Festival del film Locarno, where he will receive a Pardo d’onore Swisscom (Leopard of Honour). The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, August 5 at 9.30 p.m. on the Piazza Grande. Alongside the Swiss filmmaker Alain Tanner, JIA Zhang-ke will be the second recipient of the Pardo d’onore Swisscom this year.
Locarno launches Industry Days: 7 – 9 August 2010
This year the Festival del film Locarno will launch its first Industry Days, three days entirely devoted to film professionals, 7 - 9 August 2010, with a programme of screenings and sessions specially designed to meet the needs of delegates.
Open Doors Factory 2010: The selected projects
12 film projects from Central Asia, from a total of 114 applications, were selected for participation in the co-production lab of the Festival del film Locarno. The Open Doors Factory will take place 7 -10 August 2010, during the 63rd edition of the Festival.
General Assembly of the Festival del film Locarno.
The General Assembly of the Locarno Festival took place on April 26th. Among the attendees were the Member of the Swiss-italian Governement Gabriele Gendotti and the City Mayor, Carla Speziali.
Official Juries for the 63rd edition
The jury for the Concorso internazionale (International Competition) for the 63rd edition of the Locarno Film Festival is now finalised. The line-up for the juries judging the Concorso Cineasti del presente (Filmmakers of the Present) and the Pardi di domani (Leopards of Tomorrow) is now almost complete.
Venture ideas meets the Festival del film Locarno
Thursday April 15. The Locarno Film Festival hosted "venture ideas", the day dedicated to training in entrepreneurship, organised by USI, SUPSI and the Centro Promozione Start-up as part of the federal programme Venturelab.
Tribute to Werner Schroeter
The Festival salutes master filmmaker Werner Schroeter, who died on 12 April. He was awarded the Pardo d'onore in 1996.
Foundation of the “Conférence des festivals”
The 24th Fribourg International Film Festival marked the official founding of the “Conférence des festivals”, a grouping of the major Swiss film festivals, whose aim is to organise the exchange of information and lobby for its members’ shared interests.
Solidarity with Jafar Panahi
The Locarno Film Festival expresses solidarity with the filmmaker Jafar Panahi, following his arrest in Teheran.
The poster for the 63rd edition
The poster for the 63rd edition, created by Jannuzzi Smith, concludes the major exercise of re-branding the Festival that began in 2007. This project, spread over a three-year period, aimed to renew the event’s visual identity by bringing the leopard back into the heart of its marketing strategy. The new design was conceived in such a manner as to enable its use in traditional formats, on the Festival’s screens as well as in ‘new media’ applications – through images of the moving leopard.
Swisscom Leopard of Honour to Alain Tanner
At the 63rd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival, a Swisscom Leopard of Honour will be awarded to the Swiss director Alain Tanner, who will hold a public Masterclass.
10 questions to Olivier Père
In an interview new artistic director Olivier Père outlines his vision of the Festival and ambitions for the future at Locarno.
New Selection Committee
The Festival's new selection committee comprises Philip Cheah, Jean-François Deveau, Mark Peranson, Roberto Turigliatto and Agnès Wildenstein. The make-up of the Piazza Grande committee, with the Swiss Frank Braun, Jean-Michel Bühler and Beki Probst, remains unchanged. Alessandro Marcionni, Philippe Clivaz, Martina Malacrida and Françoise Mayor have also been reappointed as members of the committee for the Leopards of Tomorrow Short film competitions.
Industry News
Once again, titles which premiered at Locarno last year have made good ground on the international distribution circuit, as a result of sales agreements reached during or just after the event itself, and thanks to the focused effort of the Festival’s Industry Office. Many films from Locarno have also been enjoying considerable success at festivals around the world.
Open Doors 2010: Central Asia
Following Greater China in 2009, the Locarno International Film Festival’s co-production lab Open Doors 2010 will focus on countries in central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Screenings in Lugano
From Sept. 25 to 29, a selection of films premiered at the 63rd Locarno Festival will be screened at the Cinema Cittadella in Lugano (Corso Elvezia 35).
Three more films of the 2009 selection picked up
Three films premiered in the Locarno Int. Competition and one premiered on the Piazza Grande have been picked up just after the Festival
Locarno 2010: Retrospective Ernst Lubitsch
For the 63rd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival (4-14 August 2010), the work of German born American director Ernst Lubitsch will be the subject of an exhaustive retrospective, in collaboration with the Cinémathèque française.
First reports show the 62nd Festival continues to be a major attraction, despite the global economic downturn
The 62nd Locarno International Film Festival drew to a close on Saturday 15 August with a surprise concert in the Piazza Grande given by Mongolian singer Urna, following the world premiere of the film The Two Horses of Genghis Khan by Byambasuren Davaa.
Screenings of the Awards-winning films
The award-winning films will be screened on Sunday, August 16th at La Sala and L'altra Sala from 10 a.m. Free entrance for accreditation holders.
Official Awards 2009
The closing ceremony of the 62nd Locarno International Film Festival took place on Saturday, August 15th 2009 at the Piazza Grande.
Jonathan Nossiter talks about Ticino and wine
While in Locarno as chairman of the International Competititon jury, US director Jonathan Nossiter, also had a sip of the local wine.
Conversation with Rolf Gérard
On Friday, August 14 at the Rialto 1 at 6.30 pm the legendary set and costume designer, and painter Rolf Gérard will attend the screening of Invitation to the Dance (1956) by Gene Kelly, for which he created some of the sets and costumes. The screening will be followed by a public conversation.
Open Doors Awards 2009
The awards for the 2009 Open Doors Factory, the Locarno Film Festival’s co-production lab that is organised with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), were announced on Wednesday August 12.
Ticino Cinema Prize to Renato Berta and conversation with the public
Tonight at 9.30 pm on the Piazza Grande the Swiss-Italian Minister Gabriele Gendotti will present the Ticino Cinema Prize to the Director of Photography Renato Berta. The Ticino Cinema Prize is a new initiative suggested by the Swiss-Italian Parliament and launched by the Ticino Council of State in collaboration with the Locarno International Film Festival.
IL MIO CUORE UMANO and Performance of the Italian singer Nada
On Tuesday, August 11th at 11.30 pm the world première of Il mio cuore umano will be screened at the Kursaal.
Leopard in Honour of Yoshiyuki Tomino and Manga Night
Opening the Manga Night on Monday, August 10 at 9.30 pm, the Italian director Maurizio Nicchetti (Ladri di saponette, 1989) will deliver a Honorific Leopard to the Japanese animation Master Yoshiyuki Tomino.
Frédéric Maire is made an Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters
On Friday August 7th, the French Embassy in Switzerland and Unifrance held a cocktail and dinner at the Locarno International Film Festival for French and Swiss film professionals.
“Mankind at War: In Commemoration of the 60 Years of the Geneva Convention” with Micheline Calmy-Rey
A special event entitled “Mankind at War: In Commemoration of the 60 Years of the Geneva Convention” will take place on Monday, August 10 at 4pm at La Sala, as part of the “Ici & Ailleurs” section.
International Referees at the Locarno Film Festival
In support of the world premiere of Yves Hinant’s film Les Arbitres (The Referees), some of international football’s most celebrated referees will be arriving in Locarno on Monday, August 10th.
Andrzej Wajda cannot attend Locarno
For reasons of ill health, Polish film maker Andrzej Wajda cannot attend Locarno as initially planned for the event dedicated to him on Monday August 10. In a letter to the Festival Wajda expressed his deep regret at being unable to attend and discuss the screenings with the audience, but hoped they would enjoy the films all the same.
“Pokémon” Event on the Piazza Grande with singer Shoko Nakagawa
A special treat on Sunday evening, August 9, at 9pm: as a prelude to the following day’s international première screening of the twelfth film in the Pokémon saga, the Japanese singer Shoko Nakagawa will give a performance, accompanied on stage by a live fellow Pokémon, Pikachu.
The Rwanda massacre 15 years later – Special "Ici & Ailleurs" screening
A special screening and discussion event, “In Remembrance: 15 Years since the Rwanda Massacre” will take place on Sunday August 9 at 4.15pm at La Sala, as part of the “Ici & Ailleurs” section.
Excellence Award - Moët & Chandon to Toni Servillo: Ceremony on the Piazza Grande
Tonight at 9.30 pm on the Piazza Grande the Italian actress Anna Bonaiuto will deliver the Excellence Award - Moët & Chandon 2009 to Italian actor Toni Servillo. During same night it will be screened Paolo Sorrentino's Le conseguenze dell’amore (2004).
Winners of the CSS Assurance’s competition
The winner of the CSS Assurance’s competition, held during the Pre-Festival evening on the Piazza Grande on Tuesday, August 4, are:
Jury for the Leopard of the Best First Feature: Esteban Larraín replaces Enrique Rivero
Due to a family emergency, Mexican filmmaker Enrique Rivero has had to cancel his participation in the Leopard for the Best First Feature Jury at the 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival.
Inauguration of the 62nd edition of the Locarno Festival
The 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival opens on Wednesday August 5th.
Two films in the Int. Competition acquired
The Industry Office of the Locarno Film Festival is proud to announce that the international distribution rights for two films in the International Competition have been acquired following the announcement of the line-up mid-july 2009.
The Ticino Cinema Prize goes to DoP Renato Berta
The recipient of the first «Premio Cinema Ticino» (Ticino Cinema Prize), awarded as part of the 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival, is Director of Photography Renato Berta. The award ceremony will take place on August 11th on the Piazza Grande.
As a tribute to Renato Berta, the Locarno Festival will present, on August 12th, Heute Nacht oder nie (1972), the first feature film directed by Daniel Schmid.
POKEMON and MAI MAI MIRACLE: Major premieres for Locarno's younger audiences
The 12th film in the Pokémon saga, entitled Pokémon Diamond & Pearl the Movie : Arceus and the jewel of life, will be presented as an international premiere at the forthcoming Locarno International Film Festival.
Special Andrzej Wajda evening at Locarno
One of the special events at the forthcoming Locarno International Film Festival will be a special evening devoted to the Polish director Andrzej Wajda, who will attend in person, on Monday August 10 at 8.30 pm at La Sala.
Pre-Festival: MARCHING BAND as curtain-raiser on the Piazza Grande
Once again this year the Locarno International Film Festival is delighted to offer the public a free screening on the Piazza Grande on the eve of the Opening Night, on Tuesday, August 4th, 9:30 pm – thanks to the support of CSS Assurance.
The Festival Press Conference 2009
Artistic Director Frédéric Maire announced the 2009 line-up of the 62nd Locarno Festival, which will take place from August 5 to 15, 2009.
OPEN SPACE: Cinema in Piazza Grande
The event "OPEN SPACE: Cinema in Piazza Grande", is back for a second year with two evenings of open air cinema in Locarno, on July 31 and August 2.
Bed&Budget: low cost accommodation in Ascona
For the length of the project “Manga Impact – The World of Japanese Animation” the Locarno Film Festival is offering the many Manga fans and all young festival goers budget dormitory accommodation at the civil protection rest centre in Ascona, near Locarno. The centre is just 30 minutes away from Locarno on foot and 15 by bus (regular line bus 1, via Pancaldi Mola Station). It will be open from 5th to 16th August. Price 25 CHF per night.
Special Event: VITUS in concert
For its 62nd edition, the Locarno International Film Festival is working with the Union of Film Music Composers of Switzerland (UFMC) to celebrate the Centenary of Film Music. The celebrations will commence on Wednesday 5 August 2009, 5 p.m., at the Fevi Auditorium, with a special screening of Fredi M. Murer’s Vitus (2006), preluding the Festival’s opening night.
Swisscom Leopard of Honour 2009 to Friedkin
The Swisscom Leopard of Honour for the 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival will be awarded to American director William Friedkin, and To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) starring William L. Petersen and Willem Dafoe will screen during the Festival to mark the occasion. A masterclass will also take place at the Spazio Cinema (Forum) and is open to the public.
Partnership with Europa Distribution
The Locarno International Festival has endorsed a new partnership with the Europa Distribution network that groups around 70 independent distributors from 19 European countries. Its aim is to foster contacts between producers of the films selected by the Festival and members of Europa Distribution, in order to facilitate distribution agreements.
Piazza Grande Opening Film
The American romantic comedy, Marc Webb’s 500 Days of Summer, will open the 62nd edition of the Locarno Film Festival on Wednesday August 5th, 2009 on the Piazza Grande.
Initial selection International Competition
The line-up for the official selection in Competition is now shaping up, and several world premières have already been confirmed.
"Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai"
The 62nd Locarno Film Festival will screen in the official selection Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai, the latest film conceived and written by the renowned Japanese animation director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, The Sky Crawlers) and directed by Mizuho Nishikubo (Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato, Otogi Zoshi). The film, produced by animation studio Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Kill Bill: Vol. 1), will be released theatrically in Japan on June 13.
Open Doors Factory 2009: the selected projects
The jury for the Locarno Festival’s Open Doors co-production lab has selected 12 projects (out of 114 applications from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan Island) to participate in the final phase of the 2009 session. This year the Open Doors Factory is devoted to Greater China, and will take place from 9 to 11 August 2009, during the 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival.
Swiss Cinema Day
The “Swiss Cinema Day” will take place as usual during the 62nd Film Festival Locarno, on Wednesday 12 August 2009, one day later than in previous years.
Pippo Delbono at the Locarno Film Festival
The 62nd Locarno International Film Festival is to welcome the well-known Italian theater actor and director Pippo Delbono, presenting his entire filmography. Among the latter will be a number of works never before screened and his latest full-length feature, La Paura, co-produced by Forum des Images (Paris), just completed and filmed entirely on a mobile phone.
Martine Marignac, Best Producer 2009
At the 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival the Raimondo Rezzonico Prize 2009 for Best Independent Producer will be presented to French producer Martine Marignac.
Launching of the Ticino Film Award
On Tuesday, May 26 in the city of Bellinzona, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports of the Canton Ticino (DECS), in collaboration with the Locarno International Film Festival, presented the Ticino Film Award (Premio Cinema Ticino).
Download the official Locarno Festival wallpapers
The multimedia pages of the Locarno Festival website www.pardo.ch now offer free downloads of official wallpapers and ringtones.
Locarno in Cannes
The Locarno Film Festival held its traditional cocktail in Cannes on Sunday, May 17th.
Toni Servillo Best Italian Actor 2009
The "David di Donatello" Prize for the Best Italian Actor of the year went to Toni Servillo for his role in Il Divo by Paolo Sorrentino, as announced during the awards ceremony which took place on Friday, May 8 in Rome.
Variety Piazza Grande Award
The Variety Piazza Grande Award, first introduced at the 61st Locarno Festival, is to be continued.
Locarno Announces Initial Jury Line-up 2009
The official juries for the next Locarno International Film Festival are already shaping up, with several personalities having already confirmed their participation.
Play Forward
In order to clarify the programming line-up and also for financial reasons, the Locarno Festival will not this year be running the Play Forward sidebar dedicated to visual experimentation and cross-disciplinary arts projects.
Toni Servillo, Excellence Award Moët & Chandon 2009
Italian actor Toni Servillo will be one of the guests of honour at the 62nd edition of the Locarno International Film Festival, where he will receive an Excellence Award and will also conduct a conversation with the audience.
Leopards of Tomorrow in Bucharest
Nell'ambito del Festival internazionale del corto e medio-metraggio NexT (Bucarest), la sezione "Pardi di domani" del Festival di Locarno ha presentato giovedì 2 aprile una selezione di film che hanno segnato i suoi programmi competitivi negli ultimi sei anni.
Locarno in Tokyo
The Locarno Festival and the Manga Impact retrospective were presented to industry professionals and the Japanese press
Open Doors HAF Award - winning projects
The two Open Doors HAF Award-winning projects were announced on Wednesday 25 March, during the closing ceremony of the HAF – Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum.
Swiss Film Prize
Various winners at the Quartz (Swiss Film Prize) awards ceremony held on Saturday March 7th in Lucerne had previously featured in the program at the 61st Locarno Festival last summer.
Film submissions 2009
The submissions for the 62nd Locarno Film Festival are now open (deadline June 1st, 2009).
To submit your film, click here.
Open Doors Submissions
The submissions for Open Doors, the Locarno International Film Festival co-production lab, are now open. In 2009 Open Doors is dedicated to projects from Continental China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Deadline for submission: April 10th, 2009.
To submit your project, click here.
The poster for the 62nd edition


The 2009 poster is part of the Festival’s new visual identity, developed by the agency Jannuzzi Smith to span several years.
Open Doors 2009: Greater China
Following the success of the previous edition devoted to Latin America, in 2009 the Locarno International Film Festival’s Open Doors section will focus on Greater China.
A new partner, the George Foundation
The Locarno International Film Festival is pleased to announce its collaboration with the George Foundation in Winterthur, which, over the next three years, will be one of the official partners of the Leopards of Tomorrow section.
Locarno meets Gennevilliers
A special event dedicated to the Locarno Festival will take place at the
Théâtre2Gennevilliers, near Paris, on November 14th and 15th.
Manga Impact - The World of Japanese Animation
The Locarno International Film Festival is joining forces with one of the most prestigious of European Film Museums, in Turin, to organise an ambitious project for a retrospective and exhibition about the world of Japanese anime, particularly the close relationships with the comic strip books (manga) that provide much of its inspiration. Manga Impact will thus offer a fascinating journey through all their genres and styles – from the most commercial to the most cutting-edge – and exploring its more distant roots, from both narrative and graphic perspectives. This event will be accompanied by a comprehensive publication, with a wealth of written and iconographic content, intended as a reference work for anyone interested in discovering the diversity and originality of Manga and Anime.
Olivier Père future Artistic Director
The Board of the Locarno International Film Festival, at an extraordinary meeting on September 25th, appointed Olivier Père, currently in charge of the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes, as the new Artistic Director for the Locarno Festival, who will start at the end of next year’s festival (5-15 August 2009). He will succeed Frédéric Maire, who, as was announced last June, will become head of the Swiss Cinémathèque on 1st November, 2009.
Locarno in Rome
For the 8th consecutive year, a selection of films of the 61st Locarno Festival will be presented in Rome, in the frame of "I grandi festival… Locarno a Roma", from August 31st until September 5th, at the Piazza Vittorio Arena
The films from Locarno in Milan
A selection of films from the 61st Locarno Festival will be presented in Milan from September 8 to 14, 2008.
The Locarno Festival in Lugano
Three films of the 2008 Festival will be screened in Piazza Manzoni, Lugano, on August 22-23-24.
Report on the 61st édition: success despite the rain
The closing ceremony for the 61st edition of the Locarno International Film Festival took place on Saturday August 16 on the Piazza Grande. The Golden Leopard was awarded to Parque via by Enrique Rivero (Mexico). This first feature is also the first Mexican film to win the Locarno Golden Leopard ever.
Screenings of the award-winning films
The award-winning films will be screened on Sunday, August 17th at La Sala and L'altra Sala from 10 a.m.
Official Awards 2008
The closing ceremony of the 61st Locarno International Film Festival took place on Saturday, August 16th 2008 at the Piazza Grande. The announcement of the Official Awards 2008 was followed by the screening of BACK SOON, a French / Islandic comedy by Solveig Anspach, as a World Premiere.
Kabaret Kino, Saturday 16.08 - La Sala, 2 p.m.
The “Kabaret Kino, 4 days in short” offers, for the third time at Locarno, a "lab for film improvisation", organised by the association tiKINÒ in collaboration with the short film section Leopards of Tomorrow.
Christine Vachon, Best Independent Producer 2008
The Raimondo Rezzonico Prize 2008 was awarded Thursday night to the American producer Christine Vachon.
Filmquiz - Awards ceremony
The winners of Nanni Moretti's Filmquiz will be announced on Friday, August 15 at 4.15 p.m. at the cinema Ex-Rex, prior to the screening of Diari della Sacher. Nanni Moretti will attend the awards ceremony.
Industry News
The Industry Office of the Locarno Film Festival is proud to announce that the international distribution rights for five films in the International Competition have been acquired after the announcement of the line-up mid-july 2008.
Filmquiz by Nanni Moretti: the prizes
Nanni Moretti’s Filmquiz challenge, made especially for the Locarno Festival, was announced today.
Jerzy Skolimovski introduces WALKOWER
The polish filmmaker will present his 1965 feature, chosen by Nanni Moretti in the frame of his Carte blanche as "filmgoer"
Open Doors 2008 Award-winning projects
The awards for the 2008 session of the Open Doors Factory, the Locarno International Film Festival’s co-production lab that is organised with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) were announced on Wednesday August 13.
Nanni Moretti's filmquiz
A game, with many prizes for the winner, devised as a real “film quiz”, written, directed and performed by Nanni Moretti.
Meet the Leopards of Tomorrow
Keep it short: A meet the filmmakers session, in the two Leopards of Tomorrow competitions
20 years of trigon-film with the Magic Lantern
Locarno celebrates the anniversary of the trigon-film association with Yasujiro Ozu’s silent classic, Umarete wa mita keredo (I was born.. but, 1932).
Amos Gitai and Livo Leron present "Kippur"
On Sunday, August 10 at 7.30 p.m. (Rialto 1), Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai, Leopard of Honor 2008, will introduce his film "Kippur" (2000), together with actor Livo Leron, member of the Jury for the International Competition.
Conversation with Chuck Palahniuk at the Forum
A conversation with the American writer Chuck Palahniuk will take place at the Forum (Spazio Cinema) on Sunday, August 10th, at 11 a.m. Free entrance according to places’ availability.
Leopard of Honor 2008
A conversation with Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai took place on Thursday, August 7 at the Forum (Spazio Cinema).
Locarno meets Gennevilliers
To mark the presentation of “Locarno meets Gennevilliers” as the opening programme in the Filmmakers of the Present Competition, a special performance of Le début de l’A., a play/concert devised by and featuring Pascal Rambert (theatre director and director of the Théâtre2Gennevilliers near Paris) and Kate Moran will take place at the Teatro Paravento on Thursday August 7 at 18h.
Entrance is free, subject to seating capacity. (The show lasts around 1 hour)
Opening of the 61st Festival
The 61st edition of the Locarno International Film Festival will open on August 6th, with a twofold inauguration.
Exhibition "A new Cinema Palace"
A new Cinema Palace in Locarno: the ecological projects of the students in architecture (Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio) – Exhibition
Nanni Moretti Retrospective: the Carte Blanche movie selection
Nanni Moretti, the Italian director, actor and producer was given a carte blanche to pick a set of films which will be screened during the 61st Locarno International Film Festival as a complete retrospective dedicated to him.
Inauguration of the Moretti photos exhibition
The photos exhibition "Nanni Moretti, on set from Aprile to Caos calmo" has been inaugurated on Saturday, August 2nd in Locarno.
Pre-Festival: Young@heart on the Piazza Grande
At the traditional Pre-Festival, the British documentary Young@heart by Stephen Walker (2007) will be screened on the Piazza Grande, on Thursday, August 5th at 9.30 pm.
OPEN SPACE: Cinema in Piazza Grande
Expecting the Locarno International Film Festival, as a warm up OPEN SPACE presents three cinema nights in Piazza Grande, on August 1-2-3.
Japanese cinema to guest at Locarno: Kitaro, plus two Shochiku rarities
The 61st Locarno International Film Festival will be dedicating a special event to Kitaro, a cult figure in Japanese animation, well-known to manga enthusiasts of all ages.
Locarno pays tribute to Youssef Chahine
The Locarno International Film Festival pays tribute to Egyptian director Youssef Chahine who died on July 27.
Inauguration of the Edelstein Photos Exhibition
The photos exhibition “Mélancolie Cinéma, le(s) cinéma(s) de Simon Edelstein” has been inaugurated on July 31st in Ascona.
Additional titles for the official selection and the Locarno jury
Two new films have been added to the official selection of the 61st Locarno International Film Festival, which opens on August 6th.
Piazza Grande and Competition Schedule
The Screening schedule for the Piazza Grande and the International Competition selection is available in PDF.
Anjelica Huston is unable to attend Locarno
The American actress Anjelica Huston, who was due to come to the forthcoming Locarno International Film Festival to receive the Excellence Award, has to cancel her trip.
Chuck Palahniuk presents CHOKE in Locarno
Choke di Clark Gregg will be screened as an European Premiere on Saturday August 9th at 11.30 p.m. on the Piazza Grande, in attendance of the director Clark Gregg, scriptwriter Chuck Palahniuk, the film’s producers Flynn Beau, Johnathan Dorfman, and co-producer Lisa Zambri.
The 2008 selection
The 2008 selection of the Locarno International Film Festival has been announced. The Press Kit is available in four languages. The film details and the screening schedule will be published soon.
Sponsors and partners for the 61st edition
The 61st edition of the Locarno International Film, which opens on August 6, has been made possible thanks to the contribution of numerous sponsors and partners in the private sector.
Programme of the Swiss Cinema Day
The Swiss Cinema Day with three Swiss World Premieres, young actors in the limelight and the Appellations Suisse programme
Nordwand as a world première for Locarno’s Piazza Grande
A spectacular treat is in store for Saturday 9th August 2008 on the Piazza Grande, with the world première of Nordwand (North Face) by Philipp Stölzl.
Leopards of Tomorrow 2008 : short films get the spotlight at Locarno
The Locarno International Film Festival’s short film section Leopards of Tomorrow once again demonstrates great energy and promise.
World Premiere for Alessandro Baricco's Lezione 21
For its forthcoming edition, the Locarno International Film Festival will screen Lezione 21, the directorial debut by renowned Italian writer Alessandro Baricco (Silk, Novecento, City).
Excellence Award 2008: Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston receives the Excellence Award 2008 and screens Choke on the Piazza Grande.
Press Conference 2008
The line-up of the 61th edition of the Locarno International Film Festival will be announced on Wednesday, July 16th.
12 Latin-American projects selected for the Open Doors Factory
12 projects from 10 Latin American countries out of a total of 332 submissions have been selected for participation in the Open Doors co-production lab focusing on Latin America.
Frédéric Maire future Head of Swiss Film Archive
The governing board of the Swiss Film Archive has designated Frédéric Maire, currently Artistic Director of the Locarno International Film Festival, to succeed Hervé Dumont as head of the institution.
First International Competition jury members confirmed
The Jury for the International Competition of the 61st edition of the Locarno International Film Festival is shaping up. Four noted individuals have already confirmed their participation.
In memory of Sidney Pollack
The whole team of the Film Festival Locarno deeply regrets the death of of Sidney Pollack, deceased on May 26th.
Locarno in Cannes
The Locarno International Film Festival Delegates are presently attending the Film Festival in Cannes, where they are meeting professionals from all over the world.
The Variety Piazza Grande Award
For its upcoming edition (6-16 August 2008), the Locarno International Film Festival in collaboration with Variety will introduce a new prize: the Variety Piazza Grande Award.
Over 300 submissions from Latin America for Open Doors
Open Doors, the Locarno International Film Festival’s co-production lab, organised with support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), continues to grow and prove its international appeal.
Locarno award goes to producer Christine Vachon
During the 61st edition of the Locarno International Film Festival, the Raimondo Rezzonico Prize will be awarded to American producer Christine Vachon. With this prestigious award the Locarno Festival highlights the work of major independent film producers.
Film submissions
Film submissions for the 61st Locarno International Film Festival will be opened until June 1st, 2008.
Collaboration with Film Annex
The Locarno International Film Festival is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Film Annex, an online film promotion and distribution company and social network based in New York.
Leopard of Honour 2008: Amos Gitai
The Leopard of Honour at the 61st Locarno International Film Festival will be awarded to Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai in person. Several Amos Gitai films will be shown during the festival to mark the occasion.
Locarno in Barcelona
From 31st of March until 2nd of April, the International Film Festival Locarno has been on a promotion tour meeting representatives of the catalan film industry and the local press in Barcelona.
Locarno unveils its first official juries
Two of the official juries for the next Locarno International Film Festival are already in place: that of the Filmmakers of the Present Competition and that of the Leopard for the Best First Film.
Locarno in Berlin
Movie people and gentle atmosphere during the traditional Locarno cocktail organised in occasion of the 58th Berlinale, with the attendance of President Marco Solari and Artistic Director Frédéric Maire.
Retrospective 2008: Nanni Moretti
The retrospective for the 61st edition of the Locarno International Film Festival (6 -16 August 2008) will be devoted to the work of the Italian filmmaker, actor and producer Nanni Moretti.
Locarno at the Mobile World Congress 2008
The Locarno Festival will take part at the international short film showcase for mobile phones, organized in the frame of the Mobile World Congress 2008 (Barcelona 11-14th February 2008).
Pardo Way: The Festival around the clock
The Festival Poster 2008
The poster for the 61st edition is the first in a series that will play on the image of the Festival’s new leopard, created by the agency Jannuzzi Smith.
Tribute to Locarno at the Swiss Cultural Center in Paris
Frédéric Maire is made an Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters
On Friday August 7, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication held a cocktail and dinner at the Locarno International Film Festival for French and Swiss film professionals.