A Blast, Love Island amongst Locarno titles

Full details of the line-up for the 67^th Locarno Film Festival, which runs August 6-16, were unveiled at a press conference in the Swiss capital Berne today.

13 of the 17 films competing for the Golden Leopard in the festival’s International Competition section are world premiers including Syllas Tzoumerkas’s A Blast [pictured], Jungbum Park’s Alive (South Korea), Paul Vecchiali’s White Nights On The Pier (France) and Yury Bykov’s The Fool (Russia). International premieres include Alex Ross Perry’s hotly antipated US comedy Listen Up Philip starring Jason Schwartzman who is expected to attend.

The Piazza Grande line-up includes the international premieres of Eran Riklis’ Dancing Arabs, Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens’ critically acclaimed Iceland set Land Ho! Which world premiered at Sundance, and Olivier Assayas’ Clouds Of Sils Maria, which played in competition in Cannes. World premieres include Jasmila Zbanic’s latest film Love Island and Florian Mischa Boder’s A Hitman’s Solitude Before The Shot.

The Cineasts of the Present section, featuring first and second works, will include 15 titles, including US director Charles Poekel’s feature debut Christmas Again and Soon-Mi Yoo’s debut feature Songs From The North.

As previously announced, the Swiss festival will open at the open-air Piazza Grande on August 6 with Luc Besson’s Lucy, starring Scarlett Johansson. Besson will introduce the film.

The festival’s high profile guest list also includes Dario Argento, Olivier Assayas, Eran Riklis, Pedro Costa, Melanie Griffiths and Alex Ross Perry amongst others.

It was also announced today that Juliette Binoche is to receive the festival’s Excellence Award Moet & Chandon, whilst Armin Mueller-Stahl will pick up the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Meanwhile, American actress Mia Farrow will be honoured with the Leopard Club Award, which was introduced for the first time last year.

THE LINE UP

Piazza Grande

A Hitman’s Solitude Before the Shot, dir Florian Mischa Böder (Germany)
World premiere

A La Vie, dir Jean-Jacques Zilbermann (France)
World Premiere

Dancing Arabs, dir Eran Riklis (Israel)
International premiere

Geronimo, dir Tony Gatlif (France)

Tour De Force (Hin Und Weg), dir Christian Zübert (Germany)
World premiere

The Leopard (Il Gattopardo), dir Luchino Visconti (Italy/France)

Land Ho!, dir Aaron Katz and Martha Stephens (US/Iceland)

Les Plages D’Agnes, dir Agnès Varda (France)

Love Island, dir Jasmila Žbanić Croatia/Germany/Switzerland/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
World premiere

Lucy, dir Luc Besson (France)
Opening Film

Marie Heurtin, dir Jean-Pierre Améris (France)
World premiere

Pause, dir Mathieu Urfer (Switzerland)
World premiere

Schweizer Helden, dir Peter Luisi (Switzerland)
World Premiere

Clouds of Sils Maria, dir Olivier Assayas (France/Germany/Switzerland)

The Hundred-Foot Journey, dir Lasse Hallström (US)

International Competition

A Blast, dir Syllas Tzoumerkas (Greece/Germany/Netherlands)
World premiere

Alive, dir Jungbum Park (South Korea)
World premiere

Horse Money, dir Pedro Costa (Portugal)
World premiere

Cure – The Life Of Another, dir Andrea Štaka (Switzerland/Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
World premiere

Dos Disparos, dir Martín Rejtman (Argentina/Chile/Germany/Netherlands)
World premiere

The Fool, (Durak) dir Yury Bykov (Russia)
International premiere

Fidelio L’Odyssee D’Alice, dir Lucie Borleteau (France)
World premiere

Gyeongju, dir Zhang Lu (South Korea)
International premiere

The Princess of France, dir Matías Piñeiro (Argentina)
World premiere

La Sapienza, dir Eugène Green (France/Italy)
World premiere

L’Abri, dir Fernand Melgar (Switzerland)
World premiere

Listen Up Philip, dir Alex Ross Perry (US)
International premiere

From What Is Before, dir Lav Diaz (Philippines)
International premiere

White Nights On The Pier, dir Paul Vecchiali (France)
World premiere

Perfidia, dir Bonifacio Angius (Italy)
World premiere

The Iron Ministry, dir J.P Sniadecki, (China/US)
World premiere

Ventos De Agosto, dir Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil)
World premiere

Cineasts Of The Present

Buzzard, dir Joel Potrykus (US)
International premiere

Christmas Again, dir Charles Poekel (US)
World premiere

Exit, dir Chienn Hsiang (Taiwan/Hong Kong)
International premiere

Hold Your Breath Like a Lover, dir Kohei Igarashi (Japan)
World premiere

Men Who Save the World, dir Liew Seng Tat (Malaysia/Netherlands/Germany/France)
World premiere

The Enemies of Pain, dir Arauco Hernández (Uruguay/Brazil )
World premiere

Los Hongos, dir Oscar Ruiz Navia (Colombia/France/Argentina/Germany)
World premiere

Navajazo, dir Ricardo Silva (Mexico)
International premiere

A Fresh Start, dir Jang Woojin (South Korea)
International premiere

Songs From The North, dir Soon-Mi Yoo
United States/South Korea/Portugal
World premiere

South to North, dir Antoine Boutet (France)
World premiere

The Creation Of Meaning, dir Simone Rapisarda (Italy/Canada)
World premiere

They Chased Me Through Arizona, dir Matthias Huser (Switzerland/Poland)
World premiere  

Un Jeane Poete, dir Damien Manivel (France)
World premiere