In an exciting development for the world of independent cinema, American actor Tim Blake Nelson and Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia have been announced as jurors for the 77th Locarno Film Festival, set to take place from August 7 to August 17 2024. The festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland, is known for its dedication to indie films and emerging filmmakers.
The jury for the Concorso Internazionale (International Competition) section, who will award the Pardo d’Oro — the Golden Leopard, is headed by Austrian director Jessica Hausner. Joining Nelson and Kapadia are Italian actor Luca Marinelli, known for The Eight Mountains (2022), and Belgian producer Diana Elbaum, celebrated for her work on Elle and Green Border.
In addition to the main jury, the festival has announced juries for other categories. The Filmmakers of the Present (Concorso Cineasti del Presente) section, which highlights emerging directors, will be judged by Nigerian filmmaker C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, French-Palestinian-Algerian filmmaker Lina Soualem, and former Cahiers du Cinéma editor Charles Tesson.
Giona A. Nazzaro, the artistic director of Locarno, expressed his enthusiasm about the diverse jury panel, stating, “It is a tremendous privilege to welcome these talented artists and programmers to Locarno and to entrust them with the films our selection committees handpicked from the thousands that were presented to us.” Narrazo continued, “It is through their creative gazes that this year’s official selection will be introduced to the world; we can’t think of a better entry point for these films to become part of the global conversation. There are so many stories that have not yet been told and only the most generous gazes can reveal them to us.” “It is a wonderful challenge, and we remain deeply grateful that our juries accepted to do this task on everybody’s behalf and for everybody’s benefit,” she remarked.
The short film jury features Italian scriptwriter Licia Eminenti, Malagasy curator and filmmaker Laza Razanajatovo, and French producer Juliette Schrameck. Meanwhile, the Swatch First Feature Award jury includes Moroccan producer-director Khalil Benkirane, Finnish actress Alma Pöysti, and Swiss-Italian make-up designer Esmé Sciaroni.
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