The 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, taking place from 2 to 12 August, aims to be “a frame that presents itself as a possible image of the world,” to quote its artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro. Aware of the complex historical moment we live in, the festival has sought, in several different ways, to offer an image of our world and of the various directions that filmmakers explore to try and give meaning to the reality that surrounds them. While the International Competition gives ample space to emerging directors, the Out of Competition section is on the other hand dedicated to the great masters. 

214 films are programmed this year, among them 110 world premieres and 6 international premieres. 21 debut features are eligible for the Swatch First Feature Award. Among the people honoured during this 76th edition are American director Harmony Korine (Honorary Leopard), Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang (Career Leopard), Italian producer and director Renzo Rossellini (Lifetime Achievement Award), Danish producer Marianne Slot ( Raimondo Rezzonico Award) and young British actor Riz Ahmed (Excellence Award Campari). French actor Lambert Wilson will, meanwhile, be president of the jury for the International Competition.

Worth pointing out among the 17 films selected in International Competition is the presence of directors presenting their first feature works, among them The Permanent Picture [+lire aussi :
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interview : Laura Ferrés
fiche film] by Spain’s Laura Ferrés which tells of the decisive encounter between two women from two different generations; Stepne [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by Maryna Vroda, set in the gorgeous snowy landscapes of Ukraine where the film’s protagonist returns; Patagonia [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] from young Italian director Simone Bozzelli whose short film J’ador was named Best Short Film in International Critics’ Week at the 2020 Venice International Film Festival; and Baan [+lire aussi :
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interview : Leonor Teles
fiche film] by the equally young Portuguese director Leonor Teles, winner of the Golden Bear for Best Short Film for Balada de um batraquio.

As for the well-known names from this year’s edition, highly anticipated are the world premieres of the black humour-tinged road movie Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World [+lire aussi :
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interview : Radu Jude
fiche film] by Romanian director Radu Jude, and of Essential Truths of the Lake [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by Filipino director Lav Diaz, who already won the Golden Leopard in 2014 for From What Is Before. Also anticipated is the last feature film from Swiss-Portuguese filmmaker Basil da Cunha, titled Manga d’terra [+lire aussi :
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interview : Basil Da Cunha
fiche film], which tells the story of a musician at heart who moves from Cape Verde to Lisbon where she finds herself caught up in the violence of the city. Swiss is also represented, this time as co-producer, with Obscure night - Goodbye Here, Anywhere [+lire aussi :
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interview : Sylvain George
fiche film] from French director Sylvain George. France will be represented this year by Quentin Dupieux with his film Yannick [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] which centres on the sudden and unexpected interruption of a play. 

Among the many other European productions and co-productions in the programme, we also find the cruel and bloody Rossosperanza [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] from Italian director Annarita Zambrano; Animal [+lire aussi :
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interview : Sofia Exarchou
fiche film] by Greece’s Sofia Exarchou, which centres on a group of performers grappling with the madness of summer; The Invisible Fight [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by Estonia’s Rainer Sarnet, focused on a Soviet-Chinese border guard who decides to become a monk; Sweet Dreams [+lire aussi :
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interview : Ena Sendijarević
fiche film] by Bosnian filmmaker Ena Sendijarević, a satire set on an Indonesian island in the colonial era; the experimental and psychedelic film The Human Surge 3 [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by Argentina’s Eduardo Williams; and Critical Zone [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by Iranian director Ali Ahmadzadeh, which transports us to a menacing Tehran. 

Ten films out of the twelve in the Out of Competition section are European productions and co-productions. The country most represented among them is France, present with 6 (co)productions: Paul Vecchiali’s homage to Jean-Luc Godard, titled Bonjour la langue [+lire aussi :
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fiche film]; 5 hectares [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], the fourth feature film from  Emilie Deleuze; Barbet Schroeder’s Ricardo and Painting [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], a co-production with Switzerland that paints a portrait of artist and friend Ricardo Cavallo; Best Secret Place from the young directing duo Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel; as well as She Is Conann [+lire aussi :
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interview : Bertrand Mandico
fiche film] and the short film Nous les barbares, a free and feminist reinterpretation from the character of the same name by Bertrand Mandico. A strong presence as well for Italy, with Lovano Supreme [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] by Franco Maresco; Mimì – Prince of Darkness [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], the feature directorial debut from Rome’s Brando De Sica; and Procida [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], whose artistic direction and supervision was entrusted to Leonardo Di Costanzo. Completing the European presence at the festival is What Remains [+lire aussi :
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fiche film], a co-production between Hong Kong, the U.K. and Finland by Chinese director Ran Huang.

The selected films:

International Competition

Animal [+lire aussi :
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interview : Sofia Exarchou
fiche film] – Sofia Exarchou (Greece/Austria/Romania/Cyprus/Bulgaria)
Baan [+lire aussi :
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interview : Leonor Teles
fiche film] – Leonor Teles (Portugal)
The Human Surge 3 [+lire aussi :
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Essential Truths of the Lake [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] – Lav Diaz (the Philippines/France/Portugal/Singapore/France/Switzerland/United Kingdom)
The Permanent Picture [+lire aussi :
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interview : Laura Ferrés
fiche film] - Laura Ferrés (Spain/France)
Lousy Carter - Bob Byington (United States)
Manga d’terra [+lire aussi :
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interview : Basil Da Cunha
fiche film] - Basil Da Cunha (Switzerland/ Portugal)
Critical Zone [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Ali Ahmadzadeh (Iran/Germany)
The Invisible Fight [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Rainer Sarnet (Estonia/Latvia/Greece/Finland)
Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World [+lire aussi :
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interview : Radu Jude
fiche film] – Radu Jude (Romania/Luxembourg/France/Croatia)
Obscure Night - Goodbye Here, Anywhere [+lire aussi :
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interview : Sylvain George
fiche film] - Sylvain George (France/Switzerland)
Patagonia [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Simone Bozzelli (Italy)
Rossosperanza [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Annarita Zambrano (Italy/France)
Stepne [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Maryna Vroda (Ukraine/Germany/Poland/Slovakia)
Sweet Dreams [+lire aussi :
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interview : Ena Sendijarević
fiche film] - Ena Sendijarević (the Netherlands/Switzerland/Indonesia/France)
The Vanishing Soldier [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Dani Rosenberg (Israel)
Yannick [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Quentin Dupieux (France)

Out of Competition

5 hectares [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Émilie Deleuze (France)
Best Secret Place - Caroline Poggi, Jonathan Vinel (France)
Bonjour la langue [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Paul Vecchiali (France)
Conann [+lire aussi :
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interview : Bertrand Mandico
fiche film] - Bertrand Mandico (Luxembourg/France/Belgium)
Lovano Supreme [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Franco Maresco (Italy)
Mademoiselle Kenopia - Denis Côté (Canada)
Mimì – Prince of Darkness [+lire aussi :
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Nous les barbares - Bertrand Mandico (Luxembourg/Belgium/France) (short film)
Procida [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] – artistic direction and supervision by Leonardo Di Costanzo (Italy)
Ricardo and Painting [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Barbet Schroeder (Switzerland/ France)
Triggered - Richard V. Somes (the Philippines/United States)
What Remains [+lire aussi :
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fiche film] - Ran Huang (Hong Kong/UK/Finland)