Lithuanian Drama ‘Toxic’ Takes Grand Prize

Lithuanian filmmaker Saulė Bliuvaitė won the Golden Leopard award at the main international competition of the 77th Locarno Film Festival for his first feature. Poison.

Directed by Bliuvaitė from a screenplay she also wrote, the film follows two 13-year-olds, Marija and Kristina, who form a unique relationship at a local modeling school, where the promise of a better life pushes the girls to break their bodies further. dangerous ways.

This image was one of the buzzier topics down in Locarno and it was Locarno CEO Giona A. Nazzaro’s first choice in the official competition during our interview with him before the festival.

“The victory of Saulė Bliuvaitė, a newcomer Poison won the Pardo d’Oro and the Swatch First Feature Award, confirming the Locarno Film Festival’s ability to identify the most innovative talents in the business,” said Nazzaro this afternoon.

Elsewhere, Kurdwin Ayub’s Mond won the Special Jury Prize, and Pardo for Best Direction went to Laurynas Bareiša Sess (Dry Sinking). Two Best Performance Awards were given to Gelminė Glemžaitė, Agnė Kaktaitė, Giedrius Kiela, and Paulius Markevičius respectively. Drown Dry and Kim Minhee, the star of Hong Sangsoo By broadcasting. The first MUBI award went to The Green Line by Sylvie Ballyot.

The judges for this year’s competition were led by Jessica Hausner and included Diana Elbaum, Payal Kapadia, Luca Marinelli, and Tim Blake Nelson. The festival opened with Zamcolo by Gianluca Jodice. Tonight, the fest will close with a screening of Le Procès du chien by Laetitia Dosch. Check out the full list of winners below.

Concorso Internazionale

Pardo d’Oro – Grand Prize of the Festival and the City of Locarno
AKIPLĖŠA (TOXIC) by Saulė Bliuvaitė, Lithuania

Special Jury Prize – Cities of Ascona and Losone
MOND by Kurdwin Ayub, Austria

Pardo of the Best Direction – City and region of Locarno
to Laurynas Bareisa for AMASESELithuania/Latvia

Pardo for Best Performance
to Gelminė Glemžaitė, Agnė Kaktaitė, Giedrius Kiela, Paulius Markevičius for AMASESE by Laurynas Bareiša, Lithuania/Latvia

Pardo for Best Performance
to Kim Minhee for SUYOOCHEON (IN STONE) by Hong Sangsoo, South Korea

Special Mention
QING CHUN (KU) (YOUTH (HARD TIMES)) by WANG Bing, France/Luxembourg/Netherlands
HAIL MARIA by Mar Coll, Spain

Concorso Cineasti del Presente

Pardo d’Oro – Concorso Cineasti del Presente
HOLY ELECTRICITY by Tato Kotetishvili, Georgia/Netherlands

Best Emerging Director Award – City and Region of Locarno
to Denise Fernandes for HANAMISwitzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde

Special Jury Prize CINÉ+
KOUTÉ VWA (LISTEN TO THE WORDS) by Maxime Jean-Baptiste, Belgium/France/French Guiana

Pardo for Best Performance
to Callie Hernandez for The invention by Courtney Stephens, USA

Pardo for Best Performance
to Anna Mészöly for FEETIE PONT (LEARNED LESSON) by Bálint Szimler, Hungary

Special Mention
FEETIE PONT (LEARNED LESSON) by Bálint Szimler, Hungary
KADA JE ZAZVONIO TELEFON (WHEN THE PHONE RINGES) by Iva Radivojević, Serbia/USA

Pardi di Domani

Concorso Corti d’Autore

Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for the Best Auteur Short Film
PSHOT by Maha Haj, Palestine/Italy/France

Special Mention
IGWE-IN ESI JEONGCHE (THE MASKED MONSTER) by Syeyoung Park, South Korea

Locarno Film Festival Short Film Candidate – European Film Awards
LA FILLE QUI EXPLOSE by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel, France

Concorso Internazionale

Pardino d’Oro SRG SSR for Best International Short Film
WASHHH by Mickey Lai, Malaysia/Ireland

Pardino d’Argento SRG SSR for the International Competition
GIMN CHUME (HYMN OF THE PLAGUE) by Ataka51, Germany/Russia

Pardi di Domani Best Direction Award – BONALUMI Engineering
QUE TE VAYA BONITO, RICO by Joel Alfonso Vargas, United Kingdom/USA

Award of Medien Patent Verwaltung AG
FORM by Merika Pazouki, Iran

Special Mention
A FREAK by Claire Barnett, USA

National Competition

Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for Best Swiss Short Film
SANS VOIX by Samuel Patthey, Switzerland

Pardino d’Argento Swiss Life of National Competition
BETTER NOT KILL THE GROOVE by Jonathan Leggett, Switzerland

Best Swiss Newcomer Award
to Gabriel Grosclaude for LUX CARNESwitzerland

Special Mention
DEVELOPMENT IN DAYS by Gabriel Böhmer, United Kingdom/Switzerland

The first feature

Swatch First Feature Award
AKIPLĖŠA (toxic) by Saulė Bliuvaitė, Lithuania

MUBI Award – First Feature
THE GREEN LINE by Sylvie Ballyot, France/Lebanon/Qatar

Special Mention
HANAMI by Denise Fernandes, Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde
KOUTÉ VWA (LISTEN TO THE WORDS) by Maxime Jean-Baptiste, Belgium/France/French Guiana

Pardo Verde
is supported by Ente Regionale per lo Sviluppo del Locarnese e Vallemaggia

Pardo Verde
THE AGORA by Ala Eddine Slim, Tunisia/France/Saudi Arabia/Qatar

Special Mention
DER FLECK by Willy Hans, Germany/Switzerland
ROUNDS by Johann Lurf and Christina Jauernik, Austria