Locarno Film Festival
Ben Burtt on Revolutionizing Sci-Fi Sound With ‘Star Wars’ and Creating Darth Vader’s Breathing
Ben Burtt created the sound of my childhood. He gets that a lot. “Yeah, I hear that often,” says the legendary sound designer, creator of the lightsabre swish and Darth Vader’s electronic wheezing, the voice of R2-D2, Chewbacca and, for a younger generation, that of Pixar’s WALL-E. “I guess I altered the DNA of a […]
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Locarno Open Doors Program Unveils Winners, Sets New Africa Focus
Open Doors, the co-production and talent development program for artists from underrepresented communities around the world that is part of the Locarno Film Festival’s Locarno Pro industry strand, unveiled its 2024 winners on Tuesday. Eight projects in development were selected for its co-production platform, the Projects Hub, and were eligible for the three main cash […]
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Marco Tullio Giordana on ‘The Life Apart’ and Why So Many Italian Films Explore Family Issues
In 1980, Italian writer and director Marco Tullio Giordana won the Golden Leopard award at the Locarno Film Festival for his feature film debut Maledetti vi amerò. This year, he is back for the 77th edition of the Swiss festival with La vita accanto (The Life Apart). And he is back to collect another honor. […]
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How Documentary ‘Real’ Explores “Profound” Social Change in the Digital Age, Inspired by Yoda
With devices increasingly providing access to augmented reality and virtual realities, what constitutes “reality” in the digital age? Italian director Adele Tulli (Normal) is exploring this question in her new documentary Real, which world premiered at the 77th Locarno Film Festival on Monday in the Cineasti del Presente section, which puts the spotlight on first and […]
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Locarno Pro Unveils Winners of Works-in-Progress and Co-Development Programs
The Locarno Film Festival’s Locarno Pro industry strand on Sunday unveiled the winners of its industryawards, including its First Look works-in-progress section focusing on projects on the verge of completion, the co-development program Alliance 4 Development, and the second Heritage Restoration Contest. The winners were unveiled during the Locarno Pro Award Ceremony on Sunday. The promising […]
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Aislinn Clarke on Irish Folk Horror ‘Fréwaka’: “There’s A Lot of Trauma in Ireland”
Writer and director Aislinn Clarke, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, made a name for herself with her 2018 debut horror film The Devil’s Doorway. Her new movie Fréwaka, which had its world premiere at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, uses Irish and English and is billed as the first-ever Irish-language horror. “Shoo is sent […]
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Iraq-Born Austrian Auteur Kurdwin Ayub Keeps It Provocative With ‘Moon’: “I Want to Trigger People”
Writer and director Kurdwin Ayub was born in Iraq, but her family came to Austria as refugees when she was still a baby. Now, she is 34 and has been making a name for herself in the film world as an auteur. Her 2016 feature documentary Paradise! Paradise!, which she wrote, directed, and handled the […]
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“King Khan”: Bollywood Icon Shah Rukh Khan Rules Locarno as He Receives Lifetime Award
“King Khan” ruled the Piazza Grande, the iconic big square in the center of picturesque Swiss town Locarno, on Saturday night. Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan brought his global star power to the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival as he was honored with a lifetime achievement award, the so-called Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard. […]
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‘Mexico 86’ Review: Bérénice Béjo Toplines a Compelling Political Drama That Never Drums Up Enough Emotion
In Cannes Caméra d'Or winner César Díaz’s second feature, the 'Artist' co-star plays a Guatemalan leftist militant desperately trying to raise her estranged son.
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Why ‘Drowning Dry’ Director Laurynas Bareisa Told Actors Not to Land Jokes and Has Hope for Cinema as a “Place of Freedom”
To say that Lithuanian filmmaker Laurynas Bareiša’s debut feature Pilgrims was a success is an understatement. First, the crime drama won the Horizons section award for best film at the Venice Film Festival 2021. Then, it became Lithuania’s entry for the best international feature film race. The set-up for the film is simple: A woman travels to a small town […]
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Bérénice Bejo on Playing a Rebel in ‘Mexico 86,’ the “Right to Have Secrets,” and Democracy Under Siege
Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) plays a Guatemalan rebel fighting against the military dictatorship in Mexico 86 from Guatemalan director César Díaz (Our Mothers), whose world premiere on the Swiss town’s Piazza Grande is among the highlights of the Locarno Film Festival schedule on Saturday. “1976. Death threats force Maria, a Guatemalan rebel activist fighting against […]
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AI Thriller ‘Electric Child’: Simon Jaquemet on Including AI’s POV and Those Killer Robots Fears
It seemed like a particularly big night for the Locarno Film Festival as a big topic was scrutinized on the big screen in the big square. Electric Child, written and directed by Swiss filmmaker Simon Jaquemet, and its topical exploration of artificial intelligence screened on the Swiss town’s Piazza Grande, the square that seats 8,000 […]
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