German Film Multiple Awards at Filmfest Locarno
78th Locarno International Film Festival Awards Ceremony Honours Diverse Talent
The 78th Locarno International Film Festival, one of Europe's most significant film events, took place over the weekend, honouring a diverse range of films and filmmakers. The awards ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon, with the Golden Leopard, acting awards, and a documentary award among the many honours presented.
In the main competition, the top prize, the Golden Leopard (Pardo d'Oro), was awarded to Two Seasons, Two Strangers by Japanese director Sho Miyake. The socially critical drama White Snail, directed by the Austrian-German duo Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter, received the Special Jury Prize.
Abbas Fahdel, an Iraqi director, was recognised for his documentary Tales of the Wounded Land, receiving the Pardo for Best Direction. The feature film God Will Not Help received an acting award, with Chilean actress Manuela Martelli and Croatian actress Ana Marija Veselčić among the recipients for their roles in the film.
Belarusian lead actors Maryia Imbro and Mikhail Senkov also received one of the acting awards for their roles in White Snail. The film, produced by Austrian and German producers, won the Special Jury Prize at the festival.
In the Concorso Cineasti del Presente competition, Hair, Paper, Water by Nicolas Graux and Minh Quý Trương (Belgium/France/Vietnam) won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present. The Best Emerging Director Award went to Cecilia Kang for Hijo Mayor (Argentina/France). Sweetheart (Gioia mia) by Margherita Spampinato (Italy) received the Special Jury Prize CINÉ+, with Aurora Quattrocchi for Sweetheart and Levan Gelbakhiani for Don't Let the Sun receiving the Pardo for Best Performance.
The Prix du public (Audience Award) in Piazza Grande was awarded to Rosemead by Eric Lin. The Mongolian short film A South Facing Window, directed by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir, was recognised with a Special Mention and Junior Jury Award for Best Short Film in Concorso Corti d’Autore, praised for its social and family themes.
Notably, White Snail received the Special Jury Prize and Best Performance awards, while no explicit German-directed films won major awards mentioned in these sources. However, the festival remains a platform for films produced by German filmmakers alongside others. Another film, "Dry Leaf," a German-Georgian co-production directed by Alexandre Koberidze, received a special mention at the festival and was also awarded by the jury of the international film critics' organization FIPRESCI.
The Golden Leopard will be presented later that evening at a gala, concluding the 78th Locarno International Film Festival. This year's event showcases the festival's international scope with significant awards for Austrian filmmakers and broad recognition across diverse countries.
At the awards ceremony during the 78th Locarno International Film Festival, the Golden Leopard was awarded to a movie titled 'Two Seasons, Two Strangers,' marking the victory of Japanese director Sho Miyake in the entertainment field of movies-and-tv. Additionally, the Austrian-German documentary 'Tales of the Wounded Land,' directed by Abbas Fahdel, was recognized, highlighting the diverse talent on display in this prestigious event.
