The Locarno Film Festival has announced the lineup of its main jury for the upcoming edition, which will be presided over by Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh, as previously confirmed. Joining him at the head of the official competition panel will be New York-based independent producer Joslyn Barnes — known for Nickel Boys — Mexican director Carlos Reygadas, acclaimed for films such as Our Time, and Swiss stage and screen actress Ursina Lardi, recognized for her role in The White Ribbon.

The team is completed by Dutch actress Renée Soutendijk, who won Locarno’s Best Actress Award in 2023 for her performance in Ena Sendijarević’s Sweet Dreams.

Meanwhile, the jury for the Cineasti del Presente section, dedicated to discovering new voices presenting their first or second feature film, will include Indonesian actress Asmara Abigail (Stone Turtle), La Frances Hui, film curator at New York’s MoMA and co-chair of the New Directors/New Films festival, and Indian actress Kani Kusruti (All We Imagine as Light).

The Pardi di Domani (Leopards of Tomorrow) award, which honors the best short film, will be decided by Franco-Egyptian producer and director Jihan El Tahri, Lesotho-born filmmaker and visual artist Lemohang Mosese, and Italian actress Sara Serraiocco (Vermiglio).

The jury for the Swatch First Feature Award, focused on debut features, will include American cinematographer James Hawkinson — Emmy winner for The Man in the High Castle — French producer Judith Lou Lévy, who has supported the work of filmmakers such as Mati Diop and Nadav Lapid, and director Patricia Mazuy (Saturn Bowling).

Finally, the Pardo Verde, which recognizes films that make a significant contribution to environmental awareness, will be judged by American director and producer Michael Almereyda (Cybeline), Italian director Martina Parenti (Spira Mirabilis), and Seta Thakur, head of communications and social innovation at the Wyss Academy for Nature at the University of Bern.