The 74th annual Locarno Festival was held from 4 August to 14 August 2021 in Locarno, Switzerland. The opening film of the festival was Beckett by Ferdinando Cito Filomarino, which had its world premiere on 4 August. The 74th edition of Locarno Film Festival hosted 14 films including 7 world premieres in Piazza Grande among which half were European productions. More than 75,000 spectators attended the festival, half the attendance rate in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Golden Leopard, the festival's top prize, was awarded to Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash directed by Edwin.
Events
Rotonda by la Mobiliare - Come together! This event will be held from 30 July to 14 August. It is Locarno Film Festival's communal space, which embraces existing audience and greets new people. It will have following platforms: Art Virtual Reality Forum Talks Music Food and beverage Kids town Come together
Locarno Talks la Mobiliare During the course of the film festival, it will be a stage for exchanging and debating ideas and perspectives. It will have encounters with people from the world of art, photography, cinema music, politics and science.
Cinema and Youth
This is an initiative open to 28 final year students of high school or vocational school of Switzerland and Northern Italy, aged between 18 and 23. They will be privileged viewers as they may watch the screenings, meet directors and actors/actresses, attend specially organized introductory lectures on film language. In addition they will have access to the sidebar events.
Juries International competition
Eliza Hittman, American filmmaker (Jury President) Kevin Jerome Everson, American artist and filmmaker Philippe Lacôte, filmmaker from Ivory Coast Leonor Silveira, Portuguese actress Isabella Ferrari, Italian actress
Filmmakers of the present competition Agathe Bonitzer, French actress Mattie Do, Laotian American filmmaker Vanja Kaludjercic, festival director
Leopards of Tomorrow Kamal Aljafari, Palestinian filmmaker and artist Marie-Pierre Macia, French Producer Adina Pintilie (Romanian film director, screenwriter, visual artist and curator)
First Feature Amjad Abu Alala, Sudanese filmmaker Karina Ressler, Austrian editor Katharina Wyss, Switzerland filmmaker
Sections The following films were selected to receive screening in the sections below. It was Giona A. Nazzaro's first edition at the helm of the Locarno Film Festival as artistic director. The selection committee for feature films was composed by Pamela Biénzobas, Mathilde Henrot, Stefan Ivančić, Giovanni Marchini-Camia and Daniela Persico, with Eddie Bertozzi as an advisor for the competitive sections.
Pre-Festival LYNX by Laurent Geslin Tomorrow My Love by Gitanjali Rao
Piazza Grande English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryBeckett (Opening Film)Ferdinando Cito FilomarinoItalyFree GuyShawn LevyUnited StatesHeatMichael MannHinterlandStefan RuzowitzkyAustria, LuxembourgIda RedJohn SwabUnited StatesMonte VeritaStefan JägerSwitzerland, Austria, GermanyNational Lampoon's Animal HouseJohn LandisUnited StatesRespect (Closing Film)Liesl TommyUnited States, CanadaRoseAurélie SaadaFranceSinkhole싱크홀Kim Ji-hoonSouth KoreaThe AlleysBassel GhandourJordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, QatarThe TerminatorJames CameronUnited States /United KingdomVortexGaspar NoéFrance, Belgium, MonacoYaya e Lennie – The Walking LibertyAlessandro RakItaly
International competition (Concorso internazionale) Highlighted title indicates Golden Leopard winner
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryA New Old Play椒麻堂會Qiu JiongjiongHong Kong, FranceAfter BlueParadis SaleBertrand MandicoFranceCop SecretLeynilöggaHannes Þór HalldórssonIcelandGerdaNatalya KudryashovaRussiaThe GiantsI GigantiBonifacio AngiusItalyHeaven AboveNebesaSrdjan DragojevićSerbia, Germany, North Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & HerzegovinaJuju StoriesC.J. Obasi, Abba T. Makama, Michael OmonuaNigeria, FranceLuziferPeter BrunnerAustriaMedeaAlexander ZeldovichRussiaThe Odd-Job MenSis dies correntsNeus BallúsSpainPetite SolangeAxelle RopertFranceThe RiverAl NaherGhassan SalhabLebanon, France, Germany, QatarThe Sacred SpiritEspíritu sagradoChema García IbarraSpain, France, TurkeySecret NameLa place d'une autreAurélia GeorgesFranceSoul of a BeastLorenz MerzSwitzerlandVengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay CashSeperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar TuntasEdwinIndonesia, Singapore, GermanyZeros and OnesAbel FerraraItaly, Germany, United States
Filmmakers of the Present (Concorso Cineasti del presente) Highlighted title indicates winner English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryActual PeopleKit ZauharUnited StatesHoly EmyAgia EmiAraceli LemosGreece, France, USAPublic Toilet AfricaAmansa tiafiKofi Ofosu-YeboahGhanaBrotherhoodFrancesco MontagnerCzech Republic, ItalyVirgin BlueBu yao zai jian a, Yu hua tangNiu XiaoyuChinaThe LegionnaireIl LegionarioHleb PapouItaly, FranceWhether the Weather Is FineKun maupay man it panahonCarlo Francisco ManatadPhilippines, France, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, QatarOur Eternal SummerL’été l’éternitéÉmilie AusselFranceMy Brothers Dream AwakeMis hermanos sueñan despiertosClaudia HuaiquimillaChile MostroJosé Pablo EscamillaMexico No One's with the CalvesNiemand ist bei den KälbernSabrina SarabiGermanyShankar's FairiesIrfana MajumdarIndia StreamsMehdi HmiliTunisia, Luxembourg, France Wet SandElena NaverianiSwitzerland, GeorgiaZahoríMarì AlessandriniSwitzerland, Argentina, Chile, France
Leopards of Tomorrow (Pardi di domani) International competition (Concorso internazionale) Highlighted title indicates winner English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryThe Infernal MachineA Máquina InfernalFrancis Vogner Dos ReisBrazilAnd Then They Burn the SeaMajid Al-RemaihiQatarSuncatcherAtrapaluzKim TorresCosta Rica, MexicoChristmasDōng dōng de shèng dàn jiéFengrui ZhangChina, United StatesFIRST TIME [The Time for All but Sunset - VIOLET]Nicolaas SchmidtGermanyNeon PhantomFantasma NeonLeonardo MartinelliBrazilPlaytimeGiochiSimone BozzelliItalyHomeImuhiraMyriam Uwiragiye BiraraRwandaIn Flow of WordsEliane Esther BotsNetherlandsNightLaylAhmad SalehGermany, Qatar, Jordan, PalestineThe Demons of DorothyLes Démons de DorothyAlexis LangloisFranceLove, DadMilý tatiDiana Cam Van NguyenCzech Republic, SlovakiaMaskNava RezvaniIranDad's SneakersPapyni krosivkyOlha ZhurbaUkraineSound of the NightSomleng reatreyChanrado Sok, Kongkea VannCambodiaSquish!Tulapop SaenjaroenThailand, SingaporeSteakhouseŠpela ČadežSlovenia, Germany, FranceThe Sunset SpecialNicolas GebbeGermanyStrawberry CheesecakeSiyou TanSingaporeTime Flows in Strange Ways on SundaysYi yiGiselle LinSingapore
National competition (Concorso nazionale) Highlighted title indicates winner English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAfter a RoomNaomi PacifiqueUnited Kingdom, Netherlands, SwitzerlandDihyaLucia Martinez GarciaSwitzerlandDream RacingCavalesJuliette RiccaboniFour Pills at NightLeart RamaKosovo, SwitzerlandIt MustEs mussFlavio Luca Marano, Jumana IssaSwitzerlandThe Life UndergroundLoïc HobiMr. Pete & the Iron HorseKilian VilimReal NewsLuka Popadić Switzerland, SerbiaStrangersChuteNora LongattiSwitzerlandThingDingPascale Egli, Aurelio GhirardelliSwitzerland
Competition of Author's Courts (Concorso Corti d’autore) Highlighted title indicates winner English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryCaricaturanaRadu JudeRomaniaCreatureCriaturaMaría Silvia EsteveArgentina, SwitzerlandDead FlashBertrand MandicoFranceFou de BassanYann GonzalezGotta Fabricate Your Own GiftsIl faut fabriquer ses cadeauxCyril SchäublinSwitzerlandHappiness Is a JourneyIvete Lucas, Patrick BresnanUnited States, EstoniaHotel RoyalSalomé LamasPortugalHow Do You Measure a Year? Jay Rosenblatt United StatesPenalty ShotKazneni udaracRok BičekCroatia, Slovenia, AustriaSe posso permettermiMarco BellocchioItaly
Out of Competition (Fuori Concorso)
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryFrom the Planet of the HumansDal pianeta degli umaniGiovanni CioniItaly, Belgium, FranceThe Monster of the CryptIl mostro della criptaDaniele MisischiaItalyMad GodPhil TippettUnited StatesPathos Ethos LogosJoaquim Pinto, Nuno LeonelPortugalRampartMarko Grba SinghSerbiaShe WillCharlotte ColbertUnited KingdomThe SadnessRob JabbazTaiwan
Open Doors Screenings
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAswangAlyx Ayn ArumpacPhilippines, France, Norway, Germany, Qatar, Denmark The InseminatorNguoi truyen giongBui Kim QuyVietnam, GermanyThe Long WalkBor mi vanh charkMattie DoLaos, Spain, SingaporeManta RayPhuttiphong AroonphengThailand, France, ChinaMoney Has Four LegsMaung SunMyanmarThe Seen and UnseenSekala niskalaKamila AndiniIndonesiaThe Story of Southern IsletKeat Aun ChongMalaysiaThey Sing Up on the HillOd ba gegeeBat-Amgalan Lkhagvajav, Ian AllardyceMongolia, United KingdomYoung LoveLomorpich RithyCambodia
History (s) of cinema (Histoire(s) du cinéma)
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAround Rocha's TableA Távola de RochaSamuel BarbosaPortugal, JapanDestinyAl-massirYoussef ChahineEgypt, FranceDerborenceFrancis ReusserSwitzerlandDickAndrew FlemingUnited States, France, CanadaDocteur ChanceFrance, Chile
Retrospective (Retrospettiva) English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country12 directors for 12 cities: Genoa12 registi per 12 città: GenovaAlberto LattuadaItalyAnnaItaly, FranceLove in the cityAmore in cittàAlberto Lattuada, Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini, Carlo Lizzani, Francesco Maselli, Dino Risi, Cesare ZavattiniItalyStay as You AreCosì come seiAlberto LattuadaItaly, SpainWhite SisterBianco rosso e...Italy, France, Spain
Locarno Kids
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryClorofilla dal cielo bluVictor J. TognolaSwitzerlandGo WestBuster KeatonUSAHere My VillageAbas AramIranTrash - The legend of the magic pyramidTrash - La leggenda della piramide magicaLuca Della Grotta, Francesco DafanoItalyToo Far AwayZu weit wegSarah WinkenstetteGermany
Swiss Panorama (Panorama Suisse)
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryAtlasNiccolò CastelliSwitzerland, Belgium, ItalyThe GameDas SpielRoman HodelSwitzerlandThe Girl and the SpiderDas Mädchen und die SpinneRamon Zürcher, Silvan ZürcherMareAndrea ŠtakaSwitzerland, CroatiaThe New GospelDas neue EvangeliumMilo RauSwitzerland, GermanyNothing but the SunApenas el solArami UllónSwitzerland, ParaguayYour StreetDeine StrasseGüzin KarSwitzerland
International Critics' Week (Semaine de la critique)
English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production countryA Thousand FiresSaeed Taji FaroukyFrance /Switzerland /Netherlands /Palestine The Bad ManLee Yong ChaoTaiwan The BalconyFilm balkonowyPaweł ŁozińskiPoland BukolikaKarol PałkaHow to Kill a CloudTuija HalttunenFinland /Denmark Stand Up My BeautyHeidi SpecognaSwitzerland /Germany Walk With AngelsTomasz WysokińskiPoland
Official Awards The following awards were presented for films shown in competition:
International Competition
Golden Leopard: Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash by Edwin
Special Jury Prize: A New Old Play by Qiu Jiongjiong
Best Direction Award: Abel Ferrara for Zeros and Ones
Best Actor Award: Mohamed Mellali, Valero Escolar for The Odd-Job Men
Best Actress Award: Anastasiya Krasovskaya, Gerda by Natalya Kudryashova Special Mentions: Soul Of A Beast by Lorenz Merz The Sacred Spirit by Chema García Ibarra
Filmmakers of the Present Competition Golden Leopard - Filmmakers of the Present: Brotherhood by Francesco Montagner Special Jury Prize: L’Été L’éternité by Émilie Aussel Best Emerging Director: Hleb Papou for Il Legionario Leopard for the Best Actress: Saskia Rosendahl for No One's With the Calves Leopard for the Best Actor: Gia Agumava for Wet Sand
Leopards of Tomorrow
International Competition Pardino d’oro SRG SSR for the Best International Short Film: