Press Releases  ·  26 | 07 | 2021

The Locarno Kids Award is launched: the first edition will go to Mamoru Hosoda

Starting this year, a new award has been added to the Locarno Film Festival's list of honors: the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare, given to someone capable of bringing cinema to younger viewers. At the viewing of the Piazza Grande presentation of Mamoru Hosoda's Belle: Ryū to sobakasu no hime (Belle, 2021), the master of animation will be the first to receive the award, and he will do so from Japan.  The Locarno Kids Award thus completes the Festival's offerings for children, along with the Prefestival on August 3 dedicated to families, and the activities and workshops of Locarno Kids la Mobiliare.  

The new place for children and adolescents will be consecrated by the establishment of a special prize, the Locarno Kids Award, which will be assigned to Mamoru Hosoda, a master of Japanese animation capable of bringing cinema to children. Hosoda is one of the masters of the new Japanese animation cinema. Throughout his career he has directed Digimon: The Movie (2000), Toki o kakeru shôjo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, 2006), Samâ uôzu (Summer Wars, Concorso internazionale competition at Locarno in 2009) and Mirai no Mirai (Mirai, 2018), nominated for an Oscar. The artist will be the focus of special programming, including Belle: Ryū to sobakasu no hime (Belle, 2021), his latest film about how the world of social networks has changed relationships among the very young, which will have its national premiere on the evening of Monday, August 9 in Piazza Grande.  

The tribute will be completed by Hosoda's films Bakemono no ko (The Boy and the Beast, 2015) and Ōkami kodomo no Ame to Yuki (Wolf Children, 2012), screening in the Locarno Kids: Screenings section. In addition, for the occasion, a workshop will be organized within Locarno Kids on Japanese animation and its techniques, which will allow participants to immerse themselves in this magical world (LINK). The focus on the Japanese auteur thus completes the Festival's new section dedicated to childhood and adolescence, made up of gems from the past to be rediscovered - such as the RSI series Clorofilla dal cielo blu (Chlorophyll from the Blue Sky, 1984) by Victor J. Tognola and Go West (1925) by Buster Keaton - and more recent interesting projects, such as the contemporary titles chosen in collaboration with Castellinaria – Festival del cinema giovane. Discover the section's program here.  

The Locarno Film Festival is preparing to welcome younger audiences as early as August 3, on the Prefestival evening presented by la Mobiliare. Laurent Geslin's LYNX (2021) will be presented in Piazza Grande. The Swiss French film will introduce young viewers to the surprises Locarno74 has in store for them, starting with this incredible journey to discover nature and one of the most fascinating animals on the planet, the lynx that lives in the Jura mountains. The screening is offered free of charge in Piazza Grande and Palexpo (FEVI) (where the Covid certificate is required), or at La Sala (where the Covid certificate isn’t required). But we remind you that it is necessary to book your seat in all of the venues and the reservations can be made now through the Online Ticket Shop and the Locarno Film Festival App, or, from July 30, also at the Festival's Infopoints. For any questions about reservations please contact booking@locarnofestival.ch.  

Projections and much more

The activities of Kids do not stop at the screenings, because, as every year, the workshops organized with the most important regional bodies related to education and childhood also return, including:  

Movie&Media Labs by SUPSI 

SUPSI organizes, in collaboration with the Festival, seven workshops for participants aged between 9 and 14, to discover the worlds of robotics, video clips, stop-motion and videogames. For those that are between 6 and 8 years old, two workshops will be dedicated to stop-motion and music in cinema. Click here to learn more

Cinemagia 

A behind-the-scenes look at the Festival in an exclusive tour of secret locations and backstage of the event. For details click here. 

LAC edu 

The Lugano-based center designed for the encounter between the public and art will bring ten workshops to Locarno for young people aged 7 to 16 years with the aim of giving voice to their curiosity and creativity. For more information and registration, visit the page dedicated to the LAC edu offer in Locarno

Castellinaria – Festival del cinema giovane 

With director Erik Bernasconi and Castellinaria's artistic director Giancarlo Zappoli, young guests will be able to discover the world of screenwriting and film criticism. For details and registration click here

Wetube / CSR 

From August 10 to 12, RSI will open the doors of Wetube to youngsters aged between 12 and 15 years old who can't wait to discover what lies behind the creation of a digital audiovisual product. For details and registration click here

Location Ticino 

In the exhibition at the Castello Visconteo, curated in collaboration with Castellinaria, the Ticino Film Commission and part of the UNICEF Locarno Comune amico dei bambini project, visitors can discover Ticino's film locations. In addition, during a workshop day on August 10, young visitors to the exhibition will be able to engage in educational activities related to the exhibition. Access will be free for all children up to 16 years of age. For details click here.  

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