- Venue: Via Antonio Ciseri 23,6600 Locarno, Switzerland
- Date: annually in early August
- Duration: 11 days
- Website: http://www.pardo.ch/
- Ticket price: about $ 20
A quiet and cozy corner of Swiss nature is the city of Locarno . On the one hand it is surrounded by the azure waters of Lake Maggiore, on the other - the snow tops of the Swiss Alps . This picturesque piece of paradise is very popular with tourists. But this town is not only famous for its landscapes. Every August, amateurs and connoisseurs of contemporary cinema come here, as it is in Locarno that one of the most prestigious film festivals in Europe passes. This city has been chosen as the center of such a world event for a reason - it is at the junction of three regions, and here you can hear French, Italian and German speech.
What is interesting about the Locarno film festival?
For the first time this grandiose event was held in the city on August 23, 1946. Ever since, every year during this period Locarno has become the center of author's cinema. Initially, the film festival in Locarno had a narrow specialization, and took as the competition works the first or second full-length feature films. However, over time, he expanded his capabilities. Now the organizers and judges of the festival appreciate both the films of young filmmakers and giants of cinema. For example, the following year after the expansion of specialization in the festival in Locarno took part such masters of the author's cinema as Gus you Sant and Alain Kvalier. The Locarno Film Festival has the category "A", which allows it to be placed on a par with such grandiose events as festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Shanghai, Venice, Montreal, Moscow, San Sebastian, Mar del Plata, Tokyo, Cairo and Karlovy Vary Varach.
Organization of the film festival in Locarno
As a rule, 15-18 author's works are submitted annually to the competition in Switzerland . They are put on trial by an international jury, which consists of 5-8 representatives of the world cinema. Judges do not hide the fact that, first of all in competitive works, they are looking for an innovative look at already familiar things. The first prize, and part-time symbol of the film festival in Locarno, is a statuette in the form of a gold leopard. It is this award that receives the best author's work, along with prize money of 40 thousand Swiss francs.
The monetary award is equally divided between the director and the producer of the prize film. For the best direction of work the award in the form of "Silver leopard" awaits, and the best actor and actress are rewarded with statues of bronze leopards. In addition, there are several additional nominations. For example, the best short films, the best first works, and also the tradition of awards on behalf of the jury and the prizes of audience sympathy are rewarded with iconic statuettes.
The festival lasts for 11 days. At this time in the city equip 10 open cinemas, the main of which is the Piazza Grande. In these details, there are also many features that are unique to the Locarno Festival. For example, it is on the main square of the city that the largest screen in Europe is installed. Its length is 26 m, and the height reaches 14 m. At the same time, the main cinema of Locarno is able to accommodate up to 7 thousand spectators.
Persons of the Festival in Locarno
The International Film Festival in Locarno has opened many talents in the world of the film industry. This grandiose event has become a kind of springboard that made it possible for the world to announce itself to such famous personalities as Jim Jarmusch, Stanley Kubrick, Claude Chabrol, Paul Verhoeven, Milos Forman and others. In 2015, the festival celebrated such famous filmmakers as David Fincher and Jonathan Demme. In addition, the work of the Russian director Bakura Bakuradze also entered the contest program of the festival in 2015. By the way, our compatriots have repeatedly won prizes for their work at the Locarno Film Festival. The first success and their admirers here found the tapes of such directors as Kira Muratova, Alexei German, Alexandra Sokurova, Svetlana Proskurina.
The Locarno Film Festival is an excellent opportunity for young filmmakers to prove themselves in the film world. Unusual decisions and innovative views here are evaluated not only by the formidable jury, but also by more than 170 thousand spectators - this is the number of people who visit the main arthouse site of the film festival for all 11 days of its holding. About $ 20 is the cost of a place in an open-air cinema in Piazza Grande. Also, there is an opportunity to purchase subscriptions that allow you to see all the pictures interesting without any damage to your wallet. For students of film schools, there are organized small master classes and lecture courses from the masters of world cinema. The subject of the study is directing, film criticism and documentary. Many specialists in the world of the film industry call the International Film Festival in Locarno "alternative Cannes for radical cinephiles".
Helpful information
You can get to Piazza Grande by public transport. You need to stop Via della Pace. Here there are routes No. 1, 2, 7, 311, 312, 314, 315, 316, 321, 324. You can also reach the square by rented car .
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