The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival came to a close after eleven intense days of screenings, encounters, and world premieres, once again consolidating its status as an essential meeting point for international cinema. Among the standout names of this year, director Cecilia Kang shone brightly, receiving the Best Emerging Director Award in the Cineasti del Presente competition for her film Hijo Mayor.
The recognition positions Kang as one of the most promising new voices in the global film scene. Critics praised her work for its narrative sensitivity and its ability to merge the intimate with the universal, within a framework that celebrates the future of independent cinema.
The Golden Leopard for Sho Miyake
The festival’s top honor, the Pardo d’Oro for Best Film in the Concorso Internazionale, went to Japanese filmmaker Sho Miyake for Tabi to Hibi (Two Seasons, Two Strangers). This victory marks the fourth time Japan has claimed the festival’s highest award, joining classics such as Teinosuke Kinugasa’s Gate of Hell (1954) and Masahiro Kobayashi’s The Rebirth (2007).
In addition, the Special Jury Prize was awarded to White Snail by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter, while the Best Director Award honored Abbas Fahdel for Tales of the Wounded Land. The Best Performance awards went to Manuela Martelli and Ana Marija Veselčić for Bog neće pomoći (God Will Not Help), and to Marya Imbro and Mikhail Senkov for White Snail.
All winners:
Pardo d’Oro – Grand Prize of the Festival and City of Locarno
to TABI TO HIBI (TWO SEASONS, TWO STRANGERS) by Sho Miyake, Japan
Special Jury Prize – Cities of Ascona and Losone
to WHITE SNAIL by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter, Austria/Germany
Pardo for Best Direction – City and Region of Locarno
to Abbas Fahdel for TALES OF THE WOUNDED LAND, Lebanon
Pardo for Best Performance
to Manuela Martelli and Ana Marija Veselčić for BOG NEĆE POMOĆI (GOD WILL NOT HELP) by Hana Jušić, Croatia/Italy/Romania/Greece/France/Slovenia
Pardo for Best Performance
to Marya Imbro and Mikhail Senkov for WHITE SNAIL by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter, Austria/Germany
Special Mention
DRY LEAF by Alexandre Koberidze, Germany/Georgia
Pardo d’Oro – Concorso Cineasti del Presente
to TÓC, GIẤY VÀ NƯỚC… (HAIR, PAPER, WATER…) by Nicolas Graux and Trương Minh Quý, Belgium/France/Vietnam
Best Emerging Director Award – City and Region of Locarno
to Cecilia Kang for HIJO MAYOR, Argentina/France
Special Jury Prize CINÉ+
to GIOIA MIA (SWEETHEART) by Margherita Spampinato, Italy
Pardo for Best Performance
to Aurora Quattrocchi for GIOIA MIA (SWEETHEART) by Margherita Spampinato, Italy
Pardo for Best Performance
to Levan Gelbakhiani for DON’T LET THE SUN by Jacqueline Zünd, Switzerland/Italy
Concorso Corti d’Autore
Pardino d’Oro WePresent by WeTransfer for the Best Auteur Short Film
to A VERY STRAIGHT NECK by Neo Sora, Japan/China
Concorso Internazionale
Pardino d’Oro Arts3 Foundation for the Best International Short Film
to HYENA by Altay Ulan Yang, USA
Pardino d’Argento Arts3 Foundation for the International Competition
to STILL PLAYING by Mohamed Mesbah, France
Pardi di Domani Best Direction Award – BONALUMI Engineering
to PRIMERA ENSEÑANZA (PRIMARY EDUCATION) by Aria Sánchez and Marina Meira, Cuba/Spain/Brazil
Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award
to FORCE TIMES DISPLACEMENT by Angel WU, Taiwan
Concorso Nazionale
Pardino d’Oro SRG SSR for the Best Swiss Short Film
to O RIO DE JANEIRO CONTINUA LINDO (RIO REMAINS BEAUTIFUL) by Felipe Casanova, Belgium/Brazil/Switzerland
Pardino d’Argento SRG SSR for the National Competition
to TUSEN TONER by Francesco Poloni, Switzerland
Best Swiss Newcomer Award
to L’AVANT-POSTE 21 by Camille Surdez, Switzerland
Locarno Film Festival Short Film Candidate – European Film Awards
O RIO DE JANEIRO CONTINUA LINDO (RIO REMAINS BEAUTIFUL) by Felipe Casanova, Belgium/Brazil/Switzerland
Swatch First Feature Award
to BLUE HERON by Sophy Romvari, Canada/Hungary
Pardo Verde
to MARE’S NEST by Ben Rivers, United Kingdom/France/Canada
Special Mentions
TÓC, GIẤY VÀ NƯỚC… (HAIR, PAPER, WATER…) by Nicolas Graux and Trương Minh Quý, Belgium/France/Vietnam
UNE FENÊTRE PLEIN SUD (A SOUTH FACING WINDOW) by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, France/Mongolia
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CARTELERA MARZO:
