Locarno Film Festival
Overview
-
Hint
-
Intro
If you want to immerse yourself in the world of film and experience what it’s like to attend an international film festival while also soaking up the Ticino holiday atmosphere, look no further than Locarno’s pretty old town.
The international Locarno Film Festival has been held over 11 days each August since 1946. During the festival, Locarno is transformed into the world capital of auteur cinema. Thousands of spectators, media professionals and industry representatives gather here every year. After the Venice Film Festival and alongside the Cannes Film Festival, it is one of the oldest film festivals in the world, screening hundreds of films in various series and retrospectives. Many screenings take place as open-air events in the Piazza Grande in the old town – the largest open-air cinema in Europe. The Golden Leopard, the festival’s top prize for the best film in the competitive selection, has been awarded since 1968. The associated prize money of 90,000 Swiss francs goes to the director and producers of the winning film.
Alongside the Locarno Film Festival, the Rotonda by la Mobiliare acts as a separate festival village, offering a colourful programme of music and entertainment as well as bars and food trucks. Here, you can toast to a successful day or evening at the film festival, sample delicious treats and then dance the night away. There’s something for everyone.
Locarno is a place where you can relax and enjoy life – take a dip in Lake Maggiore, an excursion in the region or a stroll through the old town. The main venue for the Locarno Film Festival is the old town, where you’ll also find the famous Piazza Grande, the heart and centre of Locarno, which dates back to the eighth century. From here, you can admire the elegant period townhouses and the almost 700 metre-long arcades built in the Lombard style, lined with bars, restaurants and shops. The Piazza Grande is entirely pedestrianised and the starting point for steep alleyways leading up to the actual old town, the oldest part of Locarno. If you stroll through the mostly car-free alleyways, you’ll discover many family coats of arms on the walls of the houses, decorated windowsills, wrought-iron gates and old frescoes. But the real charm of the old town lies in the period townhouses, with their Mediterranean courtyards and terraces, as well as secluded little gardens and elegant arcades.
Contact
Locarno Film Festival
Via Franchino Rusca 1
6600
Locarno
Switzerland
Phone
+41 (0)91 756 21 21
Fax +41 (0)91 756 21 49
info@locarnofestival.ch
locarnofestival.ch
Show Route
