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Isabella Rossellini receives Excellence Award at Locarno Film Festival
The 79th Locarno Film Festival opened on 5 August 2026 in the Swiss lakeside town and will run until 15 August, presenting 233 films, including 103 world premieres. Seventeen titles compete for the Golden Leopard in the International Competition, after a record‑high submission count of nearly 8 000 entries.
Italian‑American actress Isabella Rossellini, 74, was honoured with the Excellence Award (Honorary Leopard) on the opening night at the Piazza Grande. In an emotional speech she recalled her father Roberto Rossellini’s Great Prize win at Locarno in 1948 and her half‑brother Renzo Rossellini’s Lifetime‑Achievement Award in 2023. The ceremony was followed by the world premiere of *The Green Eyes* (Les Yeux Verts), a refugee drama directed by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh.
Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro announced a strategic plan to shift future editions to July from 2027, aiming to strengthen the festival’s international position. The event also featured a broad programme of short, feature, documentary and experimental works, with outdoor screenings on the historic Piazza Grande.
Entities
Darren Aronofsky · Giona A. Nazzaro · Golden Leopard · Golden Leopard · Isabella Rossellini · James Gray · Locarno Film Festival · Niccolò Castelli · Panorama Suisse · Renzo Rossellini · Roberto Rossellini · Zoe Saldaña
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 8 SOURCES] Isabella Rossellini received the Excellence Award (Honorary Leopard) at the opening ceremony. english.publictv.in · deadline.com · www.filmdienst.de · www.radiolac.ch · www.stiripesurse.ro · +2 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro announced a plan to move future editions to July starting in 2027. catt.ch
- [● 3 SOURCES] Renzo Rossellini received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Locarno in 2023. english.publictv.in · deadline.com · www.blick.ch
- [● 2 SOURCES] The festival screened 233 films, including 103 world premieres. catt.ch · megafon.si
- [● 4 SOURCES] The 79th Locarno Film Festival opened on 5 August 2026 and runs until 15 August 2026. catt.ch · megafon.si · english.publictv.in · deadline.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The opening film was “The Green Eyes” (Les Yeux Verts) directed by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh. english.publictv.in · deadline.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Seventeen films competed for the Golden Leopard in the International Competition. megafon.si
- [● 3 SOURCES] Roberto Rossellini won the Locarno Great Prize in 1948 for “Germania Anno Zero”. english.publictv.in · deadline.com · www.blick.ch