78th Locarno Film Festival
The 78th Locarno Film Festival took place from 6 to 16 August 2025, in Locarno, Switzerland. Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh served as the jury president for the main competition.
Japanese drama film Two Seasons, Two Strangers by Sho Miyake was the winner of the Golden Leopard, the festival's main prize. Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter's White Snail was the winner of the Special Jury Prize. American filmmaker Alexander Payne was honoured with Leopard of Honour on 15 August.
The festival poster was designed by the German artist Wolfgang Tillmans. The poster features the festival’s iconic leopard resting on a tree branch, surrounded by a vivid mix of yellow and purple abstract patterns. Artistic director, Giona A. Nazzaro, noted that Tillmans' artwork portrays a vision of a world where people can coexist and collaborate.
Tamara Stepanyan's drama film In the Land of Arto was the festival's opening film, while Bill Condon's Kiss of the Spider Woman was the festival's closing film.
Juries
Main Competition
- Rithy Panh, Cambodian filmmaker and author - Jury President
- Carlos Reygadas, Mexican filmmaker
- Joslyn Barnes, American film producer and writer
- Ursina Lardi, Swiss actress
- Renée Soutendijk, Dutch actress
Filmmakers of the Present Competition
- Asmara Abigail, Indonesian actress, dancer, and model
- La Frances Hui, Curator of Film at Museum of Modern Art and Co-chair of the festival New Directors/New Films
- Kani Kusruti, Indian actress
Leopard of Tomorro Competition
- Jihan El-Tahri, French-Egyptian filmmaker and producer
- Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, Mosotho filmmaker and visual artist.
- Sara Serraiocco, Italian actress
First Feature Competition
- James Hawkinson, American cinematographer
- Judith Lou Lévy, French producer and writer
- Patricia Mazuy, French filmmaker
''Pardo Verde'' Competition
- Michael Almereyda, American filmmaker and film producer
- Martina Parenti, Italian filmmaker
- Seta Thakur, Swiss Head of Communications and Social Innovation, Wyss Academy for Nature
Independent Juries
Ecumenical Jury
- Melanie Pollmeier, Switzerland
- Ileana Bîrsan, Romania
- Philippe Cabrol, France
- Roland Kauffmann, France
FIPRESCI Award
- Alonso Aguilar Candanedo, Costa Rica
- Alessandro Amato, Italy
- Savina Petkova, Bulgaria
- Sabrina Schwob, Switzerland
- Britt Sørensen, Norwegian author
Europa Cinemas Label
- Yuliia Antypova, Ukraine
- Catherine Lemaire, Belgium
- Roxanne Sayegh, Canada
- Verena von Stackelberg, German film curator and programmer
Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique – Prix SRG SSR 2025 - Critics' Week Grand Prize
- Stéphane Gobbo, Switzerland
- Mala Reinhardt, Germany
- Simonetta Sommaruga, Switzerland
The Premio Cinema Ticino Jury
- Cristina Trezzini, Jury President
- Nicola Bernasconi
- Frédéric Maire
- Antonio Mariotti
- Seraina Rohrer, Swiss audiovisual executive, academic, and innovation specialist for the creative industries.
Official sections
On 8 July the festival announced its line-up for this edition. It will screen 221 films, including 99 world premieres.Piazza Grande
The following films were selected for the Piazza Grande section, these are eligible for Prix du public award:Main Competition (''Concorso Internazionale'')
The following films were selected for the Golden Leopard competition:Filmmakers of the Present Competition (''Concorso Cineasti del Presente'')
The Concorso Cineasti del Presente, also known as the Filmmakers of the Present Competition, showcases first and second feature films from emerging filmmakers.Leopard of Tomorrow - ''Concorso Corti d'Autore''
The Concorso Corti d'Autore portion of the Leopard of Tomorrow competition features short films by established filmmakers.Leopard of Tomorrow - ''Concorso Internazionale''
The Concorso Internazionale portion of the Leopard of Tomorrow competition features short and medium-length films by emerging international directors.Leopard of Tomorrow - ''Concorso Nazionale''
The Concorso Nazionale portion of the Leopard of Tomorrow competition features short and medium-length films by emerging Swiss directors.Retrospective - Great Expectations: British Postwar Cinema 1945-1960
A tribute to British cinema from that period. More than 40 films screened in partnership with the BFI National Archive and the Cinémathèque suisse, with the support of StudioCanal and curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht.Histoire(s) du Cinéma
The restored version of Roberto Rossellini's classic film Anno uno, will be screened in the festival as part of this section.Open Doors Screenings
The Open Doors focused on 42 countries of the African continent.Locarno Kids
The following films will be screened in this section. The opening film of the section is Arco, a French animated feature about the fate of a world impacted by the climate change.Independent sections
Swiss Panorama (''Panorama Suisse)''
The independent Panorama Suisse section features highlights of contemporary Swiss cinema.Industry Selections (Locarno Factory)
The Locarno Film Festival honors its heritage while embracing innovation, adapting to new audiences and trends. By involving young generations through dedicated training, the Festival strengthens its positive impact locally and globally.Locarno Residency
The Locarno Residency supports emerging filmmakers developing their first feature film through a two-phase program. Ten selected participants join workshops and discussions during the Locarno Film Festival, after which three projects are chosen for a year-long mentorship, including online and in-person sessions in Venice and Arles.Locarno Residency Jury
- Carlo Cresto-Dina
- Jing XU
- Stefan Ivančić
Locarno Residency Tutors
- Tizian Büchi
- Anna Ciennik
- Stefan Ivančić
Locarno Academy
The Locarno Academy is a professional training initiative by the Locarno Film Festival, created to develop the skills of young filmmakers, critics, and film industry professionals.Filmmakers Academy
The Locarno Filmmakers Academy, a ten-day intensive program for emerging filmmakers.| Name | Country |
| Ali Yahya Al-Ameri | Iraq |
| Andrea Muñoz | Colombia |
| Beza Hailu Lemma | Ethiopia |
| Bohao Liu | China |
| Dimitri Gorbaty | Russia |
| Erenik Beqiri | Albania |
| Flóra Anna Buda | Hungary |
| Giada Bossi | Italy |
| Johnson Cheng | United States |
| Nathan Ghali | France |
| Ngoc Duy Le | Vietnam |
| Olivia Frey | Switzerland |
| Pom Bunsermvicha | Thailand |
| Rodrigo Ribeyro | Brazil |
| Simon Maria Kubiena | Austria |
| Tatjana Fanny Honegger | Switzerland |
| Tynystan Temirzhan | Kyrgyzstan |
| Walt Mzengi Corey | Tanzania |
| Xiwen Cong | China |
| Yihan Lin | China |
Critics Academy
The Locarno Critics Academy is a 10-day workshop that introduces young writers to film festivals, offering hands-on coverage and sessions with industry professionals.| Name | Country |
| Bandamlak Y. Jemberie | Ethiopia |
| Botagoz Koilybayeva | Kazakhstan |
| Cátia Rodrigues | Portugal |
| Charlyne Genoud | Switzerland |
| Jason Liwag | Filipina |
| José Emilio Gonzalez Calvillo | Mexico |
| Olivia J. Bennett | Australia |
| Olivia Popp | United States |
| Saffron Maeve | Canada |
| Sonya Vseliubska | Ukraine |
Official Awards
''Piazza Grande''
- Prix du public: Rosemead by Eric Lin
Main Competition
- Golden Leopard: Two Seasons, Two Strangers by Sho Miyake
- Special Jury Prize: White Snail by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter
- Pardo for Best Direction: Abbas Fahdel for Tales of the Wounded Land
- Pardo for Best Performance:
- * Marya Imbro for White Snail
- * Mikhail Senkov for White Snail
- * Manuela Martelli for God Will Not Help
- * Ana Marija Veselčić for God Will Not Help
- Special Mention: Dry Leaf by Alexandre Koberidze
''Concorso Cineasti del Presente''
- Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present: Hair, Paper, Water... by Nicolas Graux and Minh Quý TrươngBest Emerging Director Award: Cecilia Kang for Hijo MayorSpecial Jury Prize CINÉ+: Sweetheart by Margherita Spampinato Pardo for Best Performance:
- * Aurora Quattrocchi for Sweetheart
- * Levan Gelbakhiani for ''Don't Let the Sun''
''Pardi di Domani''
Pardino d’Oro WePresent by WeTransfer for the Best Auteur Short Film: A Very Straight Neck by Neo SoraPardino d'Oro Arts3 Foundation for the Best International Short Film: Hyena by Altay Ulan YangPardino d’Oro SRG SSR for the Best Swiss Short Film: Rio Remains Beautiful by Felipe CasanovaPardino d'Argento Arts3 Foundation for the International Competition: Still Playing by Mohamed MesbahPardino d’Argento SRG SSR for the National Competition: Tusen Toner by Francesco PoloniPardi di Domani Best Direction Award – BONALUMI Engineering: Primera Enseñanza by Aria Sánchez and Marina Meira Best Swiss Newcomer Award: Camille Surdez for I-Iavant-Poste 21Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award: Force Times Displacement by Angel WUFirst Feature Film Competition
Blue Heron by Sophy RomvariPardo Verde
Mare's Nest by Ben RiversSpecial Mentions:- * Hair, Paper, Water... by Nicolas Graux and Minh Quý Trương
- * A South-Facing Window by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
[Prize of the Ecumenical Jury]
Solomamma by Janicke Askevold, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, FinlandSpecial Mention:- * The Lake by Fabrice Aragno, Switzerland
FIPRESCI Prize
Dry Leaf by Alexandre KoberidzeEuropa Cinemas Label
With Hasan in Gaza by Kamal Aljafari, Palestine, Germany, France, QatarSpecial awards
Leopard of Honour (Pardo d’Onore Manor)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Leopard Club Award
Pardo alla carriera (Leopard Career Award)
Premio Raimondo Rezzonico
- Abbout Productions, led by Georges Schoucair and Myriam Sassine
Vision Award Ticinomoda
Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare
- Marcel Barelli
Premio Cinema Ticino Award
- Michele Dell'Ambrogio