Locarno Film Festival declared overwhelming success
The organisers of the Locarno Film Festival have declared the 72nd edition of the long-running event a complete success. Some 157,500 people flocked to the southern Swiss city for the 11-day event, a slight increase on the previous edition.
“I feel very happy and satisfied with my first edition,” said the festival’s new artistic director Lili Hinstin. “Locarno has the best audience and we are very lucky to be able to present the films we choose in this context.”
She added that “it was surprising to realize how much cinema can still become an instrument of awareness, which leads us to believe in the great utopia that cinema knows how to create.”
The festival ended on Saturday with “Vitalina Varela” by Portuguese director Pedro Costa winning the Golden Leopard prize for the best movie. Vitalina Varela was judged best actress for her role in the eponymous film.
Damien Manivel from France won the Silver Leopard prize as best director for his film “Les enfants d’Isadora”. The award for best male actor went to Regis Myrupu who starred in the Brazilian movie “A Febre” (The Fever).
Some 1,039 representatives of the film industry and 855 journalists and photographers were accredited for the event.
“The festival must succeed in maintaining its high artistic quality in order to remain an important economic source for the entire region and a platform for international political meetings that are useful for Ticino and Switzerland,” he said.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
Watches belonging to Michael Schumacher up for auction
This content was published on
Schumacher's family is auctioning off eight rare watches from his collection in Geneva. The Christie's auction will take place on Monday.
Joya Marleen and Baschi named best solo acts at Swiss Music Awards
This content was published on
St. Gallen singer Joya Marleen and Baschi from Basel were named artists of the year at the Swiss Music Awards 2024 on Wednesday night.
Swiss authorities announce cost-cutting in asylum sector
This content was published on
The government notably wants to improve integration into the labour force, particularly for people with protection status S.
Various leaders confirm participation at Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The presidents of Poland, Finland, and Latvia and the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium will be at the Swiss-hosted talks in mid-June.
This content was published on
In the winter season up to April 2024, railway and cable car operators ferried 3% more visitors compared to the previous winter, and 5% more than the five-year average.
Rhine flooding: Swiss to invest CHF1 billion with Austria
This content was published on
As part of an international agreement with Austria, the Swiss government wants to pump CHF1 billion ($1.1 billion) into flood protection measures along the Rhine over the next three decades.
Swiss government proposes CHF10 million UNRWA donation
This content was published on
After months of debate, Switzerland plans to give CHF10 million ($11 million) to the UN agency this year, rather than the CHF20 million initially foreseen.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Vitalina Varela scoops Golden Leopard film award
This content was published on
The movie focuses on a 55-year-old woman from Cape Verde who arrives in Portugal three days after her husband’s funeral only to face the sad reality of living in a slum. The jury heaped praise on the film, saying it deserved a place in the cultural heritage of worldwide cinema. Costa had previously won a…
This content was published on
The festivalExternal link will run until August 17, featuring more than 200 films from 60 countries, and is expected to attract audiences of up to 8,000 people per evening at the city’s central Piazza Grande outdoor venue. Lili Hinstin is marking her first year as the festival’s artistic director, describing the event as a “symbol…
This content was published on
A hard hitting boxing movie from Swiss director Fulvio Bernasconi pulls no punches in its depiction of no-holds-barred underground fighting.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.