The awards of Locarno FF’s Semaine de la Critique were handed out August 16.
The Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique, valued at CHF 5,000, went to Útóipe Cheilteach (Celtic Utopia) by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén (Sweden/Ireland). Logline: In a new Ireland, folk music echoes colonial pain while fuelling dreams of tomorrow. The music scene thrives as society grapples with its heritage. Click here to read the BDE interview with the directors.
The Marco Zucchi Award (CHF 2,000), for the most aesthetically innovative documentary, went to Nella colonia penale (In The Penal Colony) by Gaetano Crivaro, Silvia Perra, Ferruccio Goia, and Alberto Diana (Italy). Logline: Sicily is the home of the last penal colonies in Europe. Click here to read the BDE interview with co-director Alberto Diana.
This year’s jury members were Stéphane Gobbo (Switzerland) Mala Reinhardt (Germany) and Simonetta Sommaruga (Switzerland).
In its closing statement, the festival states: “With a vibrant program that embraced the full spectrum of what cinema has to offer, Locarno78 stood as a celebration of cinema’s myriad possibilities, from the glories of popular cinema to gentle naturalism of independent dramas, from avant‑garde experiments to elegantly crafted classical narratives. The Festival was defined by the palpable excitement of sold‑out screenings and bustling spectators snaking through Locarno’s streets as well as by the distinctive sidebar sections that together continue to make it an essential meeting point for the global community of cinephiles.”
