It closed the 69th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, The fourth edition dedicated to the artistic direction curated by Carlo Chatrian, which awarded the Golden Leopard at the Godless film of the Bulgarian director Ralitza Petrova. The final evening of the Piazza Grande has seen protagonists the many East European filmmakers who are rewarded. After it followed the spectacular projection closure film Mohenjo Daro with the grandiose staging Ashutosh had Govrike.

But here are the winning films of which we had the pleasure to speak to you and the good fortune of seeing them during the brief foray in the charming Swiss village overlooking Lake Como.

As already mentioned the Golden Leopard went to the Godless young Bulgarian director Ralitza Petrova. Although the official presentation he warned that the film contained scenes that could offend the sensibilities of some viewers, the film has convinced Arturo Ripstein and the other members of the jury. In fact, even the protagonist of the film IRENA IVANOVA was awarded the Leopard for Best Actress. The existential question that arises young Petrova about good and evil is universal. The Leopard for Best Actor went to Andrzej Seweryn who plays the renowned Polish surrealist painter Zdzislaw Beksinski in bioptic LAST FAMILY (The Last Family) Polish Jan P. Matuszyński. Although it was well worth the considerable interpretation of Stefan Denolyubov Tsanko Petrov in the role of protagonist of the other Bulgarian film Slava. To this was your Special Mention of the Jury FICC / IFFS which has awarded the poetic Inimi CICATRIZATE the Romanian Radu Jude. The latter has deservedly received the Special Jury Prize of the International Competition.

Finally the Leopard for Best Director went to Portuguese director João Pedro Rodrigues O Ornithologist. In this case they counted the similarities with the Mexican Ripstein. With great pleasure the Special Jury Mention went to the movie MISTER UNIVERSE Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel. The same has received a Special Mention from the Ecumenical Jury, and FIPRESCI Prize, the Europa Cinemas Label Award and one of the Awards of the Youth Jury.

Even in the Filmmakers of the Present Competition The Special Jury Prize went to an Italy: the director Yuri Ancarani con il doc THE CHALLENGE.

In International Competition Leopards of Tomorrow award winning another Italian with Film Award und Video Untertitelung who went on to VALPARAISO Carlo Sironi.

The public, the protagonist of the event who passionately crowded evenings in Piazza Grande has awarded the Prix du Public UBS crowning Cannes winner The, DANIEL BLAKE di Ken Loach, while the Variety Piazza Grande Award went to MOKA thriller by French director Frédéric Mermoud.

Instead, the Filmmakers of the Present Golden Leopard - Nescens Prize went to Argentinian Eduardo Williams with the allegorical and controversial EL AUGE OF HUMANO, together with the special mention of the Swatch First Feature Jury Award.

Finally a mention of the independent section of the 27th Semaine de la Critique independent section of the Locarno Festival organized by the Swiss Association of Film Journalists with the two winning documentaries. Komunia Polish director Anna Zamecka, African e della Notebook courageous Swiss director Heidi Specogna that reveals the horrors suffered by girls and women of Central Africa at the hands of the Congolese mercenaries during the armed conflict of 2008. Unfortunately, history is repeated during the filming of the documentary.

The numbers of the festival are the Ticino 279 films in 11 days, 16 under the sky of Piazza Grande 17 in International Competition. Among the special guests of this year unforgettable salute to the Piazza di Mario Adorf and Stefania Sandrelli, conversations with the audience of Harvey Keitel, Roger Corman, David Linde and Alejandro Jodorowsky and the masterclass di Howard Shore; revolutionary passion of Ken Loach and even the memory of Cimino Isabelle Huppert and his son Ahmad to his father Abbas Kiarostami, the generosity of Jane Birkin and contagious sympathy Bill Pullman. We mention the satisfaction DiCarlo Chatrian, Artistic director: "The issue that is ending, the sixty-ninth, It contained some bets. From a programming freer Square to welcome not discounted proposals to the competitions which privileged young directors. The positive response of the public and press is for us an encouragement to continue the path taken. We want both Locarno, as it was in these exciting eleven days, a place to show films that put man at the center in all its facets, films that discuss and excite; at the same time, the meeting place between the great artists, able to deliver messages from Fort Worth, and an attentive and enthusiastic audience. A public capable of receiving the same affection the great Harvey Keitel and his fellow Bhutanese, less known, but able to vibrate 8000 chairs to the rhythm of his voice ".

Also announced the dates of the 70th Locarno Film Festival to be held from 2 al 12 August 2017. A special stamp will be issued for the 70th anniversary of the Festival. Marco Solari, President of the Festival commented: "I am grateful to Adriano P. Vassals vice president of the Board of Directors of Swiss Post and Susanne Ruoff, Director General of La Posta, for proposing, what for us is an unexpected gift for 70.esimo of the Festival ".

For us the satisfaction of films that we have seen over the weekend it is open to filmmakers from what was once Eastern Europe demonstrating once again the cultural ferment taking place in post-communist countries. If you to primo posto HEARTS CICATRIZATE the Romanian Radu Jude, already known in Berlin with Aferim. Although exceed half an hour the fateful 120 min and deal with this matter difficult of suffering, the viewer leaves the room with a renewed perspective precisely the suffering of the young protagonist. Life lived in a sanatorium incurable playing a microcosm of human characters and despite all the power of love is driving. On the one hand the desperation of hospitalized, on the other the complicity of the attendants and nurses that alleviate the suffering of the first with their humanity. The directorial effort is able to bring to the screen an autobiographical work by Max Blecher worn by the disease only 29 years, of which the last ten past suffering. Help him by the same young author with his reflections on trivial values ​​of life earthly. The other films worthy of award Ostania Rodzina Polish Jan P. Matuszynski. Well this is a biopic about the famous surrealist painter Zdzislaw Polish Beksinski, who lived in the period of the communist regime, and his family. With manic coldness Beksinski captures with the camera the salient and crucial moments in their family to survive after the end of the regime. The finish is not obvious and reveals some regret the director toward the communist society and the values ​​of a family supported by the female gender represented by his wife Zonja. Hilarious relationship with the extravagant son and the various tributes to world cinema era. The movie trio is completed the ironic Slava (Glory) Bulgarian directorial duo composed Grozeva Kristina and Petar Valchanov their second directorial effort, discovered by the Locarno Film Festival. The corrupt and self-serving bureaucracy against the last of the last citizens. The story has an unexpected ending and well thought out.

That said Goodbye to the 70th edition in August 2017!

But before then there will be a continuation of the Festival del film Locarno to Thessalonica

International Film Festival thanks to the cooperation and participation of both the first edition of the Industry Academy in Europe & South-Eastern Mediterranean to be held in Thessaloniki from 7 all'11 November 2016 in fact coincide with the 57th Thessaloniki International Film Festival to be held from 4 al- 13 November.

The announcement by the Locarno Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival with the launch of a new joint initiative in the countries of Southeast Europe. After completing successful editions in Mexico, Brazil and New York, Locarno plans to extend the initiative in Thessaloniki, with a pilot edition. Participants in the Industry Academy of Thessaloniki will follow a workshop during which they will interact, share experiences, film, meetings with key international actors for threads, presentations of case studies and group work. They will also have the opportunity to participate in some activities of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival and the Agora / Industry, including networking events with key players. The General Director of TIFF, Élise Jalladeau commented: “We are very happy to inaugurate this new partnership between the Locarno Film Festival and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. The Industry International Academy will be a great opportunity that will benefit our region in terms of new talent by acquiring new tools for distribution, sales and training, but it will also be a valuable platform for new collaborations, exchange of ideas and networking opportunities “, They were admitted Albania, Algeria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cipro, Egypt, Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestina, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey.