Locarno Film Festival reveals juries for 79th edition

The 79th Locarno Film Festival, taking place in Switzerland from Aug. 5‑15, has announced the full lineup of juries that will select winners of the Golden Leopard and other awards. The International Competition jury will be chaired by Belgian filmmaker Fabrice Du Welz and includes Italian producer Marco Alessi, French actress Lolita Chammah, Chilean actress Paulina García and former festival artistic director Olivier Père.

The Concorso Cineasti del Presente jury is made up of Tunisian actress‑director Afef Ben Mahmoud, Czech producer‑director Radovan Síbrt and Italian filmmaker Margherita Spampinato. The Pardi di Domani jury comprises Lebanese director‑writer‑actress Mounia Akl, South African producer Steven Markovitz and Italian director Antonio Piazza. The First Feature jury includes director Matthieu Darras, programmer Sung Moon and Swiss‑Peruvian filmmaker Klaudia Reynicke. The Pardo for Change jury features war reporter Gianluca Grossi, Somali‑Austrian filmmaker Mo Harawe and communications lead Seta Thakur. Artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro said, “Selecting those whose eyes will be watching the films in the competitive sections is a task that always brings out desires and emotions.”