The Locarno Film Festival, now in its 76th year, has presented this year’s official program. Seventeen films, including nine world premieres, will be screened on Locarno’s Piazza Grande, the large open-air arena that can accommodate up to 8,000 spectators each evening. Among the films are several titles presented at MIA in past years.
Specifically, Laura Luchetti’s La Bella Estate, produced by Kino Produzioni, Rai Cinema, 9.99 Films and Sofia Exarchou’s Animal, produced by Homemade Films together with Nabis Filmgroup, Digital Cube, Felony Film Productions, ARS Digital Studio (MIA Film Co-Production Market 2020).
Maryna Vroda’s film Stepne, produced by VRODASTUDIO together with Babelsberg Film University Konrad Wolf, Tandem Production, Koi Studio, New Europe Film Sales, Kerekes Film (MIA C EU Soon, 2020).
Also Patagonia by Simone Bozzelli, produced by Wildside, together with Vision Distribution, Rai Cinema and Rossosperanza by Annarita Zambrano, produced by Mad Entertainment together with Minerva Pictures, TS Productions (MIA What’s Next Italy, 2022).
Together with the complete Festival program, the Davide Campari Excellence Award was also announced to British actor Riz Ahmed, who will receive the prize on 2 August in Piazza Grande.
“Ahmed is one of the unconquerable talents of today’s cinema. Chameleon-like, able to oscillate between so-called blockbusters and art-house cinema, at ease in theatre as in television, both behind a microphone and as a producer. Winner of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, he embodies the idea of a cinema that becomes better, more welcoming, finally ready to listen to new voices. Riz Ahmed is the face of a future that is finally possible,’ said Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Festival.
Photo credits: Pxhere
