Film Sections

Concorso
internazionale

Reflecting the Festival’s aim to cross and blur boundaries, the Concorso internazionale presents a stimulating panorama of contemporary auteur cinema, where young talent rubs shoulders with that of established directors. A jury of major figures in cinema is charged with choosing one of the competing fiction or documentary features from all over the world, screened as world or international premieres, to win the prestigious Pardo d’oro.

A Jury composed of five personalities from the world of cinema and culture will award the following prizes:

Golden Leopard

Festival Grand Prize of the City of Locarno, for the best film in the Concorso internazionale: 75,000 CHF to be shared equally between the director and the producer.

Special Jury Prize

Prize of the Cities of Ascona and Losone: 30,000 CHF to be shared equally between the director and the producer.

Leopard for the Best Direction

Prize of the City and Region of Locarno, for the best directed film in the Concorso internazionale: 20,000 CHF to the director.

Leopard for the Best Actress

Leopard for the Best Actor

Swatch First Feature Award

First Feature Award for the best first film: 15’000 CHF to the director.

The prize is awarded by a jury of personalities from the world of cinema, culture, journalism and film criticism to the best first feature film presented as world or international premiere in all sections of the Festival, except for the independent sections Semaine de la critique and Panorama Suisse.

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Concorso internazionale

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Film Sections

Concorso Cineasti del presente

An ideal arena for discovery, the Concorso Cineasti del presente is dedicated to emerging directors from all over the world and devoted to first, second and third features.

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Film Sections

Pardi di domani

A crucible of future talent, the Pardi di domani section screens shorts and medium-length films (not more than 59 minutes in lenght) by independent filmmakers or film school students who have not yet tried their hand at feature films.

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Film Sections

Piazza Grande

8,000 viewers a night, the Piazza Grande is both the Festival’s heart and its showcase. With its giant screen, one of the biggest in Europe, endowed with truly exceptional projection quality, the Piazza Grande is one of the finest open-air venues in the world.

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Film Sections

Fuori concorso

The Fuori concorso selection offers recent work – feature films and shorts, film essays, documentaries – by well-established filmmakers, out of competition, presented mostly as world or international premiere.

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Film Sections

Open Doors Screenings

From 2019 to 2021, the Open Doors Screenings section explores the diverse filmmaking of South East Asia and Mongolia. In 2021, it presents a curated selection of feature and short films from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Mongolia.

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Film Sections

Retrospettiva

Over the years the Locarno retrospectives have delved into every corner of cinema history: from great career monographs to themed programs; from wide-ranging tributes to contemporary filmmakers, to complete retrospective seasons of acknowledged great masters.

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Film Sections

Histoire(s) du cinéma

Histoire(s) du cinéma is the sidebar dedicated to the history of cinema. It offers works from filmmakers and artists to whom the Festival dedicates special tributes.

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Film Sections

Locarno Kids Screenings

The Locarno Kids Screenings section offers films for children and teenagers. It has a special emphasis on works screening as national premieres, together with restored titles that help rediscover film history.

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