Movie lovers were not put off by the rain on the opening day of the festival.
Keystone / Urs Flueeler
The 72nd Locarno Film Festival kicked off on Wednesday with a tribute to Swiss film critic and historian Freddy Buache, who passed away earlier this year. Known as “Monsieur Cinéma”, Buache was director of the Locarno festival from 1966 to 1970.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
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 of daring, originality and freedom”. Swiss culture minister Alain Berset on Wednesday praised the festival for being “different” and “unconventional”.
On the opening evening, the Italian tragicomedy “Magari” celebrated its world premiere in Locarno.
The international film competition starts on Thursday with 16 works, including a documentary film from Syria, competing for the prestigious Golden Leopard prize.
Swiss director Fredi M. Murer will receive a “Leopard” next week to commemorate his life work in cinema. US Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank will receive an honorary Leopard while South Korean cult actor Song Kang-ho is due to receive this year’s Excellence Award.
More
More
Daily dispatches from Locarno
This content was published on
Follow the latest news, notes and curiosities from the 2019 edition of Switzerland’s most prestigious film festival.
As a Swiss Abroad, how do you feel about the emergence of more conservative family policies in some US states?
In recent years several US states have adopted more conservative policies on family issues, abortion and education. As a Swiss citizen living there, how do you view this development?
‘Confederation is a subsidy machine’: Swiss finance minister
This content was published on
The Swiss government is a machine for distributing subsidies to various actors in the country, says finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter.
Lack of funds ends third bid to salvage Säntis ship from Swiss lake
This content was published on
A third attempt to salvage the steamship Säntis, lying at the bottom of Lake Constance in Switzerland since 1933, has failed before it has even begun.
Nestlé Waters on trial in France over illegal waste dumps
This content was published on
Bottled water producer Nestlé Waters to stand trial, accused of illegally dumping waste and maintaining unauthorised dumps.
Swiss army chiefs defend botched procurement projects
This content was published on
Swiss defense Minister and military heads defend against parliamentary and media criticisms of problematic procurement projects.
Swiss cheese exports recorded second-best year in 2024
This content was published on
A total 79,268 tons of Swiss cheese worth CHF748.5 million was exported abroad in 2024 - a 7.9% increase in annual sales from the previous year.
This content was published on
Insects benefit from storm devastation, says a 20-year study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research.
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
New director brings Locarno Film Festival back to its roots
This content was published on
Lili Hinstin is marking her first year as artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival with one of the boldest and most exciting line-ups in years.
Locarno’s new director unveils plans for the next festival
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival has a new director. Lili Hinstin, 42, has big ideas for running Switzerland's largest cinematic celebration.
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.