Locarno's Golden Leopard

Source: Locarno

Locarno’s Golden Leopard

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia and US actor, writer, director and producer Tim Blake Nelson are among the jurors for the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, which takes place from August 7-17.

Kapadia, whose All We Imagine As Light (2024) won the Grand Prix at Cannes, and regular Coen brothers collaborator Nelson will serve on the festival’s International Competition jury along with Italian actor Luca Marinelli (The Eight Mountains) and Belgian producer Diana Elbaum (Elle).

As previously announced, Austrian director Jessica Hausner will serve as president of the main Jury that awards the Golden Leopard to the filmmakers in the International Competition.

Deciding the winner of the Filmmakers of the Present section for emerging directors in their first or second feature will be Nigerian filmmaker C.J. “Fiery” Obasi (Juju Stories); French-Palestinian-Algerian filmmaker and actor Lina Soualem (Bye Bye Tiberias); and former Cahiers du cinéma editor, scholar and artistic director of the Cannes’ Critics Week Charles Tesson.

The jury tasked with spotlighting the best short films are Italian scriptwriter, director, programmer, and mentor for Red Sea Souk Licia Eminenti; Malagasy curator, filmmaker, fashion designer and founder of the Madagascourt Film Festival Laza Razanajatovo; and French producer Juliette Schrameck.

Meanwhile, the winner of the Swatch First Feature Award will be decided by Moroccan producer-director Khalil Benkirane; Finnish star Alma Pöysti (Fallen Leaves); and Swiss-Italian make-up designer Esmé Sciaroni (La Chimera).

The Pardo Verde Jury will be composed of Swiss-Rwandan artist, writer, and director Kantarama Gahigiri, French programmer and film critic Cédric Succivalli, and Swiss sustainability adviser, journalist, and arts manager Daniel Wiener.

Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, said: “It is a tremendous privilege to welcome these talented artists and programmers to Locarno and to entrust them with the films our selection committees handpicked from the thousands that were presented to us.”