Press Releases  ·  06 | 07 | 2017

Locarno Festival, a 360° experience

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Five days of free screenings, concerts and Dj sets will herald the inception of the 70th edition of the Locarno Festival and will accompany it beyond its closing date. This year, the 360° offering of this event is thus enhanced, creating an increasingly involving and rich experience thanks to two novel places, a garden in the heart of the Old Town and a new place to meet and mingle with people, which will flank laRotonda.

Over its long history – side by side with its filmic programming - the Locarno Festival has always distinguished itself for the conviviality offered to its public. A trait of its identity which will see new developments starting from 28 July, until 13 August, for the occasion of its 70th anniversary.

laRotonda, the Festival village
It all begins on 28 July with the opening of laRotonda 2017, the Festival village. Its programme will feature 17 evenings involving music, amusement, entertainment, ethnic cuisine and an open market. Like last year, the musical entertainment will be organised by RSI Rete Tre with a packed programme of live concerts and Dj sets. Every day, from 6pm to 9pm, it will also be possible to follow activities at laRotonda thanks to the PardOn radio broadcast.
The musical offering will be accompanied by a Virtual Reality Corner (2-12 August), in which to experience the latest film productions, proposed in collaboration with the Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans. For the second year, the centre of laRotonda will host the Grand Hotel Swisscom, the Festival club re-enacting the spirit of the historic meeting hub at the Locarno event, and which will welcome the exclusive mute “Silent Party” discotheque every evening starting from 1am, ensuring the very best entertainment until the small hours.

Opening dates: 28 July – 13 August
Opening hours: 6.00pm–3.00am

Locarno Garden la Mobiliare, the Festival garden
On 29 July, the opening of the Locarno Garden la Mobiliare is foreseen at the Parco Balli, in the heart of the Old Town. The What If pavilion of Swiss Mobiliar represents the Inspiration and Creativity and has been created by the Swiss artist Kerim Seiler. The Pavillion will rise in the centre of the Festival garden. Musical animation, organised by the Turba Association from Lugano, will offer sophisticated programming and its offerings will be rounded-off by a selection of culinary suggestions linked to the territory.

Opening dates: 29 July – 12 August
Opening hours: 5.00pm – 3.00am

Prefestival
On 30 and 31 July it will be the turn of the two traditional free Prefestival evenings, with as many screenings on the Piazza Grande. On 30 July, thanks to the support of Ascona-Locarno Turismo, one of the most evergreen beloved icons of cinema, James Bond, will inaugurate the filmic programme with Goldfinger (1964), directed by Guy Hamilton. One of the protagonists is also part of the Backdrop Switzerland photography exhibition, open from 1 June at the Elisarion Cultural Centre in Minusio, dedicated to the films that have chosen Switzerland as their setting.
The second Prefestival evening on 31 July, offered to the public thanks to the support of Press&Books, owned by the Valora company, will bring a friend of the Festival and a cinema favourite on the Piazza Grande: Marco Tullio Giordana, the much appreciated Italian filmmaker, an erstwhile Pardo d’oro in 1980 with Maledetti vi amerò. The director of La meglio gioventù will return before the eight-thousand spectators in the Piazza Grande with his latest film Due soldati (2017).

Locarno Talks Bar la Mobiliare
A new scenography at the Spazio Cinema (Forum) will also be signed by Swiss artist Kerim Seiler, with the Locarno Talks Bar la Mobiliare, a new meeting, inspiring and exchange area for festival-goers passing by between one film and the next at the Palexpo (FEVI) and La Sala and l’Altra Sala.
The Bar will be open from 08.30am to 8.30pm, and it will be possible to tuck into rich breakfasts, vegan cuisine, fruit smoothies and a vast range of aperitifs foreseen from 5pm.

Opening dates: 2 August – 12 August

Opening hours:
2 August: 1.00pm – 8.30pm
2– 12 August: 8.30am – 8.30pm

The 70th edition of the Locarno Festival is thus being launched with activities making Locarno a 360°Festival, creating a unique and creative atmosphere. The various attractions, which the region of Lago Maggiore and the valleys have to offer, complete the experience.

#LocarnoExperience

www.pardo.ch/locarnoexperience

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