North Face (Nordwand) (Ger)
Piazza Grande
Dir: Philipp Stolzl
The story: An all-star German cast of Benno Furmann, Florian Lukas and Ulrich Tukur play climbers attempting to scale the Eiger in the 1930s. The plot touches on love, political conflict during the Nazi era and the mountaineers' obsession.
The buzz: Such an epic narrative sweep combined with awe-inspiring location cinematography may make North Face this year's breakout German hit.
Int'l sales: Beta Cinema, (49) 8967 346980, Beta@BetaCinema.com

Brideshead Revisited (UK)
Piazza Grande, opening film
Dir: Julian Jarrold
The story: A hot young cast of UK actors headed by Matthew Goode, Hayley Atwell and Ben Whishaw take this adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's novel, set between the wars, to the big screen. Goode plays Charles Ryder, who falls in love with the aristocratic Flyte family.
The buzz: Locarno's prestigious opening slot will mark the film's international premiere, after Miramax released in the US on July 25 (taking an estimated $332,000 over the weekend through a limited opening). It is opening throughout Europe this summer and in the UK in October.
Int'l sales: HanWay Films, (44) 20 7290 0750, info@hanwayfilms.com

Lesson 21 (It)
Piazza Grande
Dir: Alessandro Baricco
The story: UK actor John Hurt stars as a visionary professor obsessed with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Noah Taylor and Leonor Watling co-star in the film, set partly in the Italian Alps.
The buzz: Alessandro Baricco - one of Italy's best known novelists, author of Silk and The Legend Of 1900 - makes his film-making debut.
Int'l sales: Fandango Portobello, (39) 6 85 21 81 55, fandango@fandango.it

Outlander (US)
Piazza Grande
Dir: Howard McCain
The story: Set during the time of the Vikings, a man from a far-off world crashes on Earth. Jim Caviezel and Sophia Myles star.
The buzz: Produced by The Weinstein Company, this Locarno world premiere is a high-concept genre yarn that looks destined for cult status.
Int'l sales: Wild Bunch, (33) 15 30 15 030

The Eternity Man (Australia)
Piazza Grande
Dir: Julien Temple
The story: Billed as a film opera, this is a bawdy, picaresque story of a war veteran who discovers religion after years of homelessness in the dark heart of Sydney.
Buzz: Temple is a maverick UK director whose work often polarises opinion. The Eternity Man is a collaboration between Australian composer Jonathan Mills and poet Dorothy Porter.
Int'l sales: ABC International, (61) 2 8333 5360

La Fille De Monaco (Fr)
Piazza Grande
Dir: Anne Fontaine
The story: The latest film from the French film-maker and actress is a comedy about a womanising lawyer who goes to Monaco to defend a murderer.
The buzz: Touted by the festival as 'a blisteringly entertaining film about money and power', Locarno gives European buyers the first chance to see La Fille De Monaco before it moves on to Toronto.
Int'l sales: Pyramide International, (33) 1 4296 02 20

The Market (Ger-Turk-UK-Kaz)
Piazza Grande
Dir: Ben Hopkins
The story: A market trader sees a chance to make his fortune when he ventures across the Balkan border to buy medicine.
The buzz: Hopkins, the director of Simon Magus and The Nine Lives Of Tomas Katz, directs a Turkish-language project that has been put together as a Germany-Turkey-UK-Kazakhstan co-production with a UK director.
Int'l sales: The Works, (44) 20 7612 1080, sales.international@ theworksmediagroup.com

Back Soon (Fr-Ice)
Piazza Grande, closing film
Dir: Solveig Anspach
The story: A comedy about a woman in Iceland who closes her marijuana-selling business and decides to move away with her two sons - much to the displeasure of her customers.
The buzz: This new film from the French-Icelandic director, best known for the 2003 international festival favourite Stormy Weather, could prove a big seller with foreign buyers looking for a quirky European title. Bac Films is opening it in France just after Locarno on August 20.
Int'l sales: Bac Films International, (33) 1 53 53 52 56.