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| The jurors of the 2026 edition, including Fabrice Du Welz, top left Photo: Courtesy of Locarno Film Festival |
He will deliberate alongside Italian producer Marco Alessi, French actress Lolita Chammah, Chilean actress Paulina García and Olivier Père, executive director of ARTE France Cinéma.
The Filmmakers Of The Present jury will be headed by Tunisian actress, director, producer, and director of the Gabès Cinéma Fen Festival Afef Ben Mahmoud. She will be joined by Czech producer and director Radovan Síbrt and filmmaker Margherita Spampinato (Sweetheart).
The Pardi di Domani (Leopards of Tomorrow) section will be judged by Lebanese director, writer, and actress Mounia Akl, South African producer Steven Markovitz and Italian director Antonio Piazza.
The First Feature jury comprises Matthieu Darras, director of Tantino, Sung Moon, Jeonju International Film Festival programmer and Swiss-Peruvian filmmaker Klaudia Reynicke, whose Queens (Reinas) was Switzerland’s Oscar entry.
The Pardo for Change jury reflects Locarno’s commitment to cinema that engages with pressing environmental, ethical, social, and cultural questions of broad social relevance. It includes Gianluca Grossi, freelance war reporter, writer, and theatre author; Somali-Austrian filmmaker Mo Harawe, whose debut The Village Next to Paradise premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2024; and Seta Thakur, Head of Communications and Social Innovation at the Wyss Academy for Nature.
This is in addition to the jury for the Locarno Kids Screenings, who will decide the winner of the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare from the new competitive section for feature-length films aimed at younger audiences. A jury of 13 girls and boys aged 11 to 15 will watch seven films section and decide the winner.
Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director: “Selecting the films that will be screened in the competitive sections is a task that always brings out desires and emotions. The diversity of talent meets the diversity of perspectives. Ultimately, however, what matters most is a willingness to be surprised, to be amazed, and to embrace the unexpected. In this sense, we are proud that the films of the 79th edition can begin their journey out into the world accompanied by those talented creative figures who have agreed to share the adventure of the Locarno Film Festival with us.”
The festival will open with the world premiere of The Green Eyes, which follows the turmoil experienced by two children after their father abandons the family home to escape deportation. It is directed by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh, who previously made Gagarine.
