Locarno Film Festival 2025 Rolls Out Red Carpet for Global Stars and 220+ Premieres
The Locarno International Film Festival has officially revealed the lineup for its highly anticipated 78ᵗʰ edition, set to run from August 6 to 16, 2025.
The Locarno International Film Festival has officially revealed the lineup for its highly anticipated 78ᵗʰ edition, set to run from August 6 to 16, 2025. As one of the world’s most prestigious celebrations of global cinema, the festival will showcase more than 220 carefully curated films across 11 sections and 3 main competitions, with 20 awards to be presented.
This year’s edition brings a star-studded lineup of international guests. Among those set to appear in Locarno are legendary action icon Jackie Chan, Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson, critically acclaimed director Alexander Payne, versatile star Lucy Liu, and four-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Milena Canonero.
Festival Highlights:
The 78ᵗʰ Locarno Film Festival will feature a rich and dynamic program across the following sections:
Retrospettiva 2025 – 44 films exploring a key figure or movement in film history
Piazza Grande – 14 films screened in Locarno’s iconic open-air venue, under the stars
Concorso Internazionale – 17 films vying for the prestigious Golden Leopard
Concorso Cineasti del Presente – 15 feature debuts and second works from emerging filmmakers
Pardi di Domani – A platform for short and medium-length films by rising talents
Fuori Concorso – 14 distinctive works presented out of competition
Open Doors Screenings – 13 films spotlighting voices from underrepresented regions
Histoire(s) du Cinéma – 15 films engaging with cinema's past and legacy
Locarno Kids Screenings – 8 films tailored for young audiences
Semaine de la Critique – 7 films curated by the Swiss Association of Film Journalists
Panorama Suisse – 10 standout works from contemporary Swiss cinema
Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, commented on this year’s selection:
“The films of the 78th edition represent what is alive, necessary, and daring in contemporary cinema today. A cinema entirely in the present tense, devoid of any nostalgia and projected forward towards an open, dynamic, inclusive future that is to be imagined together, once again.”
For more information, visit www.locarnofestival.ch
