Locarno announces more than 30 world premieres, including Morten Tyldum's Headhunters

With over 30 world premieres and a guest-list that ranges from Harrison Ford and Mike Medavoy to Leslie Caron, Claudia Cardinale and Abel Ferrara, Olivier Pere has pulled together a wide-ranging programme in his second year as artistic director at the Locarno International Film Festival.

Full details of the 64^th edition of the festival, which runs August 3–13, were announced today (July 13).

World premieres on the Piazza Grande include Morten Tyldum’s Jo Nesbø adaptation Headhunters (sold by TrustNordisk), Emmanuel Mouret’s The Art Of Love (sold by Kinology) and Patricia Mazuy’s Of Women And Horses (sold by Films Distribution) starring Marina Hands and Bruno Ganz.

Locarno’s closing title, Stephane Robelin’s And If We All Lived Together marks the first film that Jane Fonda has made in France in almost 40 years. The festival will also be holding the world premiere of Inconscio Italiano, a new documentary from I Am Love director Luca Guadagnino.

Most of the films in competition are world premieres, a large number of which already have sales agents attached. The competition includes four films from France, among them Mia Hansen-Love’s Un Amour De Jeunesse and Nicolas Klotz’s Low Life.

Locarno will also be holding international and European premieres of some high profile US titles. Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde and Jon Favreau are expected in town for the European premiere of Cowboys & Aliens. Other US titles include Kevin Smith’s Red State (a Midnight Screening on the Piazza) and JJ Abrams’ Super 8, Locarno’s opening film on the Piazza Grande.

Some of the best-liked Cannes competition titles are also Locarno-bound, among them Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive and Aki Kaurismaki’s Le Havre. Refn will introduce his film while actress Kati Outinen is expected to attend.

The festival will also be saluting the imprisoned Iranian director Jafar Panahi by screening his second feature The Mirror, which won Locarno’s Golden Leopard in 1997.

Speaking to Screen earlier this week, Pere is promising an event that will be “exciting, relevant and useful” for filmmakers and industry attendees alike, and one that will showcase work from both newcomers and renowned international auteurs. 

As it continues to ramp up its industry activities, the festival will again be holding Industry Days (running August 6–8) at which all the films in competition will be screened to buyers. Pere highlights the “active role” Locarno has played in putting filmmakers in touch with sales agents. 

Match Factory, Beta, Wild Bunch, Le Pacte and many other leading European sales agents will be in attendance.

Leslie Caron will be in town to support the Vincente Minnelli retrospective. Mike Medavoy is to pick up the prestigious Raimondo Rezzonico Prize.

For the full line-up, see: www.pardo.ch.