Locarno Unveils Competition Lineup

ROME – The Locarno Film Festival announced the lineup for its 64th edition Wednesday, revealing an eclectic mix of auteurs, popular artists, diverse geography that second year artistic director Olivier Pere said was representative of Locarno’s vision of contemporary film.

The 20-film main competition lineup includes 15 world premieres, including Low Life from France’s Nicolas Klotz, Julia Loktev’s The Loneliest Planet, and El Ano del Tigre (The Year of the Tiger) from Sebastian Lelio. Also on the main competition program is Tanathur (Last Days in Jerusalem) another world premier from Israeli director Tawfik Abu Wael, which got its start in Locarno’s Open Doors film lab four years ago, and two international premieres of U.S. films: Azazel Jacob’s Terri and Another Earth from Mike Cahill.

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In the festival’s picturesque Piazza Grande – the largest outdoor film venue in Europe – the lineup will start out with Super 8, the blockbuster from J. J. Abrams and will also include the international premiere of Red State from Kevin Smith, the European premiere of John Favreau’s Bachir Lazhar, Headhunters, the Norwegian-Danish-Germany joint venture produced by Morten Tyldum, and the international premiere of Mourir Aupres de Toi from Spike Jones and Simon Cahn.

“We think this lineup is quite representative of our vision of film today,” Pere told The Hollywood Reporter in a telephone interview. “I see it as a rich and adventurous lineup of works from talented directors.”

As in 2010, Pere’s first as artistic director, the overall lineup is smaller than before Pere’s arrival, totaling around 250 this year compared to 270 a year ago and generally over 350 per year before that.

“But streamlining the program I think we give buyers, critics, journalists, and film lovers a chance to see more of the films on offer,” Pere said.

As previously announced, the lineup will include a retrospective of the work of Vincente Minelli. An American in Paris, the 1951 classic that is probably Minelli’s best known film, will screen in the Piazza Grande. Leslie Caron, who was the films female lead opposite Gene Kelly, will be in Locarno to introduce the film.

Also expected to be on hand for the festival are Abel Ferrara, Bruno Ganz, Kabir Bedi, Claudia Cardinale, and Anri Sala.

The festival will also screen The Mirror, the winner of Locarno’s Golden leopard prize in 1997, in a tribute to Jafar Panahi, who was banned from filmmaking for 20 years by his native Iran for what the government considered subversive activities.

The festival this year runs Aug. 3-13.

Locarno Lineup

International Competition

Abrir Puertas Y Ventanas, Milagros Mumenthaler – Argentina
Another Earth, Mike Cahill – United States
Beirut Hotel, Danielle Arbid – Lebanon
Crulic – Drumul Spre Dincolo, Anca Damian – Romania
Derniere Seance, Laurent Achard – France
Din Dragoste Cu Cele Mai Bune Intentii, Adrian Sitaru – Romania
El Ano Del Tigre, Sebastian Lelio – Chile
Hashoter, Nadav Lapid – Israel
Les Chants De Mandrin, Rabah Ameur-Zaimeche – France
Low Life, Nicolas Klotz – France
Mangrove, Frederic Choffat and Julie Gilbert – Switzerland
Onder Ons, Marco Van Geffen – Holland
Saudade, Katsuya Tomita – Japan
Sette Opere Di Misericordia, Gianluca and Massimiliano De Serio – Italy
Tanathur, Tawfik Abu Wael – Israel
Terri, Azazel Jacobs – United States
The Loneliest Planet, Julia Loktev – United States
Tokyo Koen, Shinji Aoyama – Japan
Un Amour De Jeunesse, Mia Hansen-Love – France
Vol Special, Fernand Melgar – Switzerland

Piazza Grande Lineup

Super 8, J.J. Abrams
Headhunters, Morten Tyldum
Hell, Tim Fehlbaum
Friends With Benefits, Will Gluck
Mourir Aupres De Toi, Spike Jonze and Simon Cahn (short film)
Attack The Block, Joe       Cornish
Cowboys & Aliens, Jon Favreau
Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn
L’art D’aimer, Emmanuel Mouret
Red State, Kevin Smith
Romance, Georges Schwizgebel (short film)
Bachir Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau
4 Tage Im Mai, Achim von Borries
Le Havre, Aki Kaurismaki
Sport De Filles, Patricia Mazuy
Saya Zamurai, Hitoshi Matsumoto
An American In Paris, Vincente Minnelli
Et Si On Vivait Tous Ensemble?, Stephane Robelin