Every film festival is a window into new worlds, a catwalk for stories waiting to be told.
With this philosophy, the Locarno Film Festival – founded in 1946 and now in its 77th edition – has always stood out for its ability to promote artistic freedom and the discovery of new talent.
Over the years, the Locarno Film Festival – which in 2024 has been scheduled from 7 to 17 August – has been able to create a unique platform for new authors and voices within the global movie scene.
Thanks to the neutrality that characterises the history of the Swiss confederation, the Festival has always opened its doors to film directors and cinematographic works that were often not available in other countries. During the Cold War, for example, Locarno was one of the few places where one could see films from both the West and the Soviet bloc, without ideological constraints or restrictions due to boycotts.
A long journey, therefore, made up of openings that over time transformed the event from a cultural review to a stage of intercultural dialogue, with an increasingly broad and welcoming horizon.
This year too, the heart of the Festival will be the evening screening of films in Piazza Grande in Locarno, “the most beautiful open-air cinema in Europe”. In addition, the 9 theatres of the city will offer spectators the opportunity to enjoy other movies.
The 2024 edition of the Locarno Film Festival will award the Pardo d’Onore Manor – the award dedicated to outstanding protagonists of cinema – to New Zealand director Jane Campion. The Pardo alla Carriera Ascona-Locarno Turismo – homage from the Locarno Film Festival to one or more personalities who, with their artistic contribution, redefined cinema and the collective imagination – will instead be awarded to Indian actor and producer Shah Rukh Khan, who over the years has become the tangible symbol of the vitality of Hindi cinema, as well as the embodiment of a secular and complex India.
The Locarno Film Festival, however, goes beyond the mere enjoyment of extraordinary films from every latitude and context. Especially in recent years, in fact, the Festival is increasingly active in the area of inclusiveness and sustainability, for which reason the event stands out as a gathering place capable of enhancing diversity and offering participants a truly accessible experience.
Values, visions and messages entirely similar to those that IBSA pursues as part of its commitment to the environment and society. And it’s for this reason that, since 2023, IBSA has chosen to collaborate with the Locarno Film Festival as Diversity & Inclusion Partner. The 2024 edition therefore promises to be even more inclusive, facilitating the participation and enjoyment of film screenings by people with hearing, visual and motor disabilities, with cognitive or mental disorders and difficulties due to age, for an experience free of barriers and open to all.
Between red carpets and films, the Festival will display dreams, reality, messages and emotions. A screen open to life, knowledge and sharing between people, as per its tradition and vocation.
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