21st Locarno Film Festival


The 21st Locarno Film Festival was held from 26 September to 6 October 1968 in Locarno, Switzerland.
There was fight on the festival jury this year. Due to the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact countries, Czech director and jury member Jiri Menzel refused to vote on films from Warsaw Pact countries as he felt he could not fairly evaluate them. As a result, the five person jury voted to ask the distributors of films from the Soviet Union, Hungary and East Germany to remove them from competition at the festival.
However, after the vote, two jury members, Michel Cournot and, thought this was too extreme and threatened to resign, while jury members Puriša Đorđević and André Delvaux sided with Mezel. The result was the selection of an entirely new jury, pulled from the youth jury, and all films were again considered in the competition.
Also, like at other festivals this year, student protesters briefly interrupted the festival during the last night, but ultimately did not stop the festival for long.
The festival's top prize, the Golden Leopard, was awarded to The Visionaries directed by Maurizio Ponzi.
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Official Sections

The following films were screened in these sections:

Main Program

Main Program / Feature Films In Competition
'Main Program / Short Films In Competition'''''

Out of Competition (''Fuori Concorso'')

Main Program / Feature Films Out of Competition
Original TitleEnglish TitleDirectorYearProduction Country
CapituGet itPaulo César Saraceni1968Brazil
Chronik der Anna Magdalena BachThe Chronicle of Anna Magdalena BachDanièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub1968Germany
EscalationEscalationRoberto Faenza1968Italia
La hora de los hornosThe Hour of the FurnacesFernando Solanas1968Argentina
Les Gauloises bleuesLes Gauloises bleuesMichel Cournot1968France
Rozmarné létoCapricious SummerJiri Menzel1968Czech Republic
Un soir, un trainOne Night... A TrainAndré Delvaux1968Belgium

'Main Program / Short Films Out of Competition'''''

Official Awards

Youth Jury

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