A scene from Baltasar Kormákur's Two Guns
The Locarno Film Festival recently unveiled its full lineup of competition films and galas for the event taking place next month. The international premiere of Baltasar Kormákur's Two Guns with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg will open the 66th edition of the festival in its open air Piazza Grande, one of 16 films that will screen at the festival's lakeside 8,000-seat open air cinema. The film revolves around a DEA agent and undercover Naval Intelligence officer who are investigating one another, but find out they have been set up by the mob. The film will usher the festival's lineup, programmed under the leadership of the festival's new Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian.
This year's program includes the 20-film international competition, of which 18 are world premieres. The festival will also present films spotlighting contemporary cinema, shorts and more. As previously announced, the festival will present a retrospective of George Cukor in conjunction with the Film Society of Lincoln Center. That program will then head to New York in December.
Highlights from the International Competition include the World Premiere of Daniel and Diego Vega's El Mudo, Spanish director Albert Serra's Story of My Death, Swiss/French production Mary, Queen of Scots by Thomas Imbach, Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa's latest Real, and the International Premiere of Destin Cretton's Short Term 12, which won the jury prize at the SXSW Film Festival in March. Pascal Plisson's On the Way to School (Sur le chemin de l'école) will close out the festival, which takes place August 7 - 17 in Switzerland. The festival typically screens titles that later appear at fall film festivals in North America.
"I think of Locarno as a frontier festival," Chatrian wrote in an introduction of the lineup. "A festival that tries to explore what’s going on at the limits of the fi lm spectrum, on the edges of the frame, to pick up the things that are just off camera but which somehow define the scene. Today the significance of the notion of being avant-garde has perhaps worn a little thin: it’s no longer about being the first to reach a particular spot, it’s more a question of the desire and ability to give space and visibility to neglected or insufficiently regarded films, filmmakers and film industries.
Film Society will be in attendance to co-host, alongside Indiewire, the Critics Academy for the second time this year, mentoring nine aspiring film critics attending Locarno.
Locarno's Competition, Piazza Grande Galas and emerging filmmakers sections follow with information provided by the festival.
Concorso Internazionale - a panorama of contemporary auteur cinema where young talent rubs shoulders with that of established directors. A jury of major figures in cinema is charged with choosing one of the 20 competing fiction or documentary features from all over the world, screened as world or international premieres, to win the prestigious Pardo d'oro.
E AGORA? LEMBRA-ME (What Now? Remind Me) by Joaquim Pinto
Portugal – 2013 – 164 min.
with Joaquim Pinto, Nuno Leonel
Production: C.r.i.m.
Co-production: Presente edições de autor lda.
World Sales: C.r.i.m.
World Premiere
EDUCAÇÃO SENTIMENTAL (Sentimental Education) by Júlio Bressane
Brazil – 2013 – 84 min.
with Josie Antello, Bernardo Marinho, Débora Olivieri
Production: República Pureza Filmes Ltda, TB Producões
World Sales: Ludwig Maia ArtHouse
World Premiere
EL MUDO by Daniel and Diego Vega
Peru/France/Mexico – 2013 – 86 min.
with Fernando Bacilio, Lidia Rodríguez, Juan Luis Maldonado, Augussto Varillas, José Luis Gómez, Norka Ramírez, Ernesto Ráez
Production: Maretazo Cine
Co-production: Urban Factory, Nodream Cinema
World Sales: UDI - Urban Distribution International
World Premiere
EXHIBITION by Joanna Hogg
United Kingdom – 2013 – 105 min.
with Viv Albertine, Liam Gillick, Tom Hiddleston
Production: Wild Horses Film Company Limited
World Premiere
FEUCHTGEBIETE by David Wnendt
Germany – 2013 – 109 min.
with Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Meret Becker, Axel Milberg, Marlen Kruse, Peri Baumeister, Edgar Selge, Harry Baer
Production: Rommel Film
Co-production: ZDF
World Sales: The Match Factory
Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich
World Premiere
GARE DU NORD by Claire Simon
France/Canada – 2013 – 119 min.
with Nicole Garcia, Reda Kateb, François Damiens, Monia Chokri
Production: Les Films d'Ici
Co-production: France 3 cinema, Productions thalie
World Sales: Les Films d'Ici
World Premiere
HISTORIA DE LA MEVA MORT (Story of My Death) by Albert Serra
Spain/France – 2013 – 140 min.
with Vincenc Altaio Morral, Lluis Massanellas Serrat, Clara Visa, Noelia Rodenas, Jordi Pau Costa
Production: Andergraun Films
Co-production: Capricci Films
World Sales: Capricci Films
World Premiere
L’ÉTRANGE COULEUR DES LARMES DE TON CORPS (The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears) by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani
Belgium/France/Luxembourg – 2013 – 102 min.
with Klaus Tange, Jean-Michel Vovk, Sylvia Camarda, Sam Louwyck, Anna D’annunzio, Manon Beuchot
Production: Anonymes Films, Tobina Film
Co-production: Epidemic, Mollywood, Red lion
World Sales: Bac Films
World Premiere
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS by Thomas Imbach
Switzerland/France – 2013 – 120 min.
with Camille Rutherford, Mehdi Dehbi, Aneurin Barnard, Sean Biggerstaff, Edward Hogg, Tony Curran
Production: OKOFILM Productions
Co-production: SRF, SRG SSR, ARTE G.E.I.E.
Swiss distributor: Pathé Suisse
World Premiere
PAYS BARBARE by Yervant Gianikian and Angela Ricci Lucchi
France – 2013 – 65 min.
Documentary
Production: Les Films d’Ici
World Premiere
REAL by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Japan – 2013 – 127 min.
with Takeru Satoh, Haruka Ayase
Production: Twins Japan inc.
World Sales: TBS - Tokyo Broadcasting System Television
International Premiere
SANGUE by Pippo Delbono
Italy/Switzerland – 2013 – 89 min.
with Pippo Delbono, Margherita Delbono, Giovanni Senzani, Anna Fenzi, Bobò, Coro e orchestra del Teatro San Carlo di Napoli
Production: Compagnia Pippo Delbono, Casa Azul Films
Co-production: Cinémathèque suisse, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, Vivo Films with Rai Cinema
World Premiere
SHORT TERM 12 by Destin Cretton
United States – 2013 – 96 min.
with Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, Keith Stanfield, Kevin Hernandez
Production: Animal Kingdom, Traction Media
World Sales: Memento Films International
International Premiere
SHU JIA ZUO YE (A Time in Quchi) by Tso chi Chang
Taiwan – 2013 – 109 min.
with Liang-Yu Yang, Yun-Loong Kuan, Ya-Ruo Lin, Yung-Heng Yen, Shaoyi Jiang, Han-Yi Yao, Chi-Han Chen
Production: Chang tso chi film studio
World Premiere
TABLEAU NOIR (Black Board) by Yves Yersin
Switzerland – 2013 – 117 min.
Documentary
Production: Ateliers Merlin Sàrl
Co-production: Télévision Suisse SSR - TSR
Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich
World Premiere
TOMOGUI (Backwater) by Shinji Aoyama
Japan – 2013 – 102 min.
with Masaki Suda, Misaki Kinoshita, Yukiko Shinora, Ken Mitsuishi, Yuko Tanaka
Production: Stylejam Inc.
World Sales: Rezo Films
World Premiere
TONNERRE by Guillaume Brac
France – 2013 – 106 min.
with Vincent Macaigne, Solène Rigot, Bernard Menez
Production: Rectangle Productions
Co-production: Wild Bunch, France 3 Cinema
World Sales: Wild Bunch
First Feature
World Premiere
U RI SUNHI (Our Sunhi) by Sangsoo Hong
South Korea – 2013 – 88 min.
with Yumi JUNG, Sunkyun LEE, Sangjoong KIM, Jaeyoung JUNG
Production: Jeonwonsa Film Co.
World Sales: Finecut Co., Ltd.
World Premiere
UNE AUTRE VIE by Emmanuel Mouret
France – 2013 – 95 min.
with Joey Starr, Virginie Ledoyen, Jasmine Trinca
Production: Moby Dick Films
World Sales: Kinology
World Premiere
WHEN EVENING FALLS ON BUCHAREST OR METABOLISM (Când se lasă seara peste Bucureşti sau metabolism) by Corneliu Porumboiu
Romania – 2013 – 93 min.
with Bogdan Dumitrache, Diana Avramut, Mihaela Sirbu, Alexandru Papadopol
Production: 42 KM FILM
Co-production: Les Films du Worso
World Sales: Wild Bunch
World Premiere
Piazza Grande - is the heart of the Festival and its showcase. With its giant screen, one of the biggest in Europe, endowed with truly exceptional projection quality, the Piazza Grande is one of the finest open-air venues in the world. An enormous space that can seat an audience of up to 8,000 and makes every screening a unique event. The programming on the Piazza Grande offers prestigious screenings, most of them world, international or European premieres.
2 GUNS by Baltasar Kormákur
United States – 2013 – 109 min.
with Denzel Washington, Mark Wahlberg, Paula Patton, Bill Paxton, James Marsden, Edward James Olmos
Production: Marc Platt, Randall Emmett, Norton Herrick, Adam Siegel, George Furla, Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby,
Co-production: Universal Pictures, Emmett/Furla Film
World Sales: Foresight
Swiss distributor: The Walt Disney Company (Switzerland) GmbH
International Premiere - Opening Film
VIJAY AND I by Sam Garbarski
Belgium/Luxembourg/Germany – 2013 – 96 min.
with Moritz Bleibtreu, Patricia Arquette, Danny Pudi
Production: Entre Chien et Loup, Samsa Film
Co-production: Pandora Film, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Bruxellimage, RTBF (Belgian television)
World Sales: The Match Factory
Swiss distributor: Xenix Film
World Premiere
LA VARIABILE UMANA (The Human Factor) by Bruno Oliviero
Italy – 2013 – 83 min.
with Silvio Orlando, Giuseppe Battiston, Sandra Ceccarelli, Alice Raffaelli
Production: Lumière & Co Srl, Invisibile Film, Rai Cinema
World Sales: Intramovies
World Premiere
WRONG COPS by Quentin Dupieux
France/United States – 2012 – 94 min.
with Mark Burnham, Marilyn Manson, Grace Zabriskie
Production: Realitism Films
Co-production: Rubber Films, CTB Film Company
World Sales: Le Pacte
Swiss distributor: Praesens Film AG
World Premiere
WE’RE THE MILLERS by Rawson Marshall Thurber
United States – 2013 – 111 min.
with Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, Will Poulter, Ed Helms
Presentation: New Line Cinema
Production: New Line Cinema, Newman/Tooley Films, Slap Happy
Productions, Heyday Films, Bender-Spink
World Sales: Warner Bros. Pictures
Swiss distributor: Warner Bros. (Transatlantic) Inc., Schweiz
International Premiere
THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES · JUSSI ADLER-OLSEN (Kvinden i buret) by Mikkel Nørgaard
Denmark/Germany/Sweden – 2013 – 97 min.
with Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Fares Fares, Sonja Richter, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Søren Pilmark, Troels Lyby
Production: Zentropa Entertainments 20 ApS
Co-production: Zentropa Entertainments Berlin GmbH, Zentropa International Sweden AB
World Sales: TrustNordisk
Swiss distributor: Frenetic Films AG
World Premiere
LES GRANDES ONDES (À L’OUEST) (Longwave) by Lionel Baier
Switzerland/France/Portugal – 2013 – 85 min.
with Valérie Donzelli, Michel Vuillermoz, Patrick Lapp, Francisco Belard, Jean-Stéphane Bron
Production: Rita Productions, Les Films Pelléas, Bande à part Films
Co-production: Filmes do Tejo II, RTS Radio Télévision Suisse
World Sales: Films Boutique
Swiss distributor: Pathé Suisse
World Premiere
RICH AND FAMOUS by George Cukor
United States – 1981 – 117 min.
with Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen, David Selby, Hart Bochner, Steven Hill
Production: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Retrospettiva George Cukor
GABRIELLE by Louise Archambault
Canada – 2013 – 102 min.
with Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, Alexandre Landry, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin, Vincent-Guillaume Otis, Robert Charlebois
Production: Micro_Scope
World Sales: eOne Films International
Swiss distributor: Agora Films
World Premiere
L’EXPÉRIENCE BLOCHER by Jean-Stéphane Bron
Switzerland/France – 2013 – 100 min.
Documentary
Production: Bande à part Films, Les Films Pelléas
Co-production: Radio Télévision Suisse, SSR SRG
World Sales: Les Films du Losange
Swiss distributor: Frenetic Films AG
World Premiere
GLORIA by Sebastián Lelio
Chile – 2012 – 110 min.
with Paulina García, Sergio Hernández
Production: Fabula
World Sales: Funny Balloons
Swiss distributor: Filmcoopi Zürich AG
MR. MORGAN’S LAST LOVE by Sandra Nettelbeck
Germany/Belgium – 2013 – 116 min.
with Michael Caine, Clémence Poésy, Justin Kirk, Jane Alexander, Gillian Anderson
Production: Bavaria Pictures GmbH, Kaminski.Stiehm.Film GmbH, Senator Film Köln
Co-production: Scope Pictures, MMLL GmbH & Co. KH, Eberhard Müller Filmproduktion, A-Films Belgium
World Sales: Global Screen GmbH
Swiss distributor: Praesens-Film AG
BLUE RUIN by Jeremy Saulnier
United States – 2013 – 92 min.
with Macon Blair, Devin Ratray, Amy Hargreaves, Kevin Kolack, Eve Plumb
Production: Filmscience
World Sales: Memento Films International
Swiss distributor: Praesens-Film AG
ABOUT TIME by Richard Curtis
United Kingdom – 2013 – 123 min.
with Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander
Production: Working Title Films
World Sales: Universal Pictures International
Swiss distributor: Universal Pictures International Switzerland
FITZCARRALDO by Werner Herzog
Germany/Peru – 1982 – 157 min.
with Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale, José Lewgoy, Huerequeque Enrique Bohorquez, Paul Hittscher
Production: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion
Co-production: Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
World Sales: Werner Herzog Film
Pardo d’onore Swisscom to Werner Herzog
SUR LE CHEMIN DE L’ÉCOLE (On The Way to School) by Pascal Plisson
France – 2013 – 77 min.
Documentary
Production: Winds
Co-production: Herodiade, Ymagis
World Sales: Wild Bunch
Swiss distributor: Praesens Film AG
International Premiere - Closing Film
Concorso Cineasti del present - is dedicated to emerging directors from all over the world and devoted to first and second features. 16 feature films screening as world or international premieres, from documentary to fiction, compete for the Pardo d'oro Cineasti del presente.
BUQƏLƏMUN (Chameleon) by Elvin Adigozel and Ru Hasanov
Azerbaijan/France/Russia – 2013 – 72 min.
with Farid Bahramov, Emin Seyfulla, Elvin Adigozel, Mubariz Khalilov, Vali Ibadov
Production: Adari films
Co-production: Arizona Productions, Vita aktiva
World Sales: Arizona Productions
First Feature
World Premiere
COSTA DA MORTE (Coast of Death) by Lois Patiño
Spain – 2013 – 80 min.
Documentary
Production: Zeitun films
First Feature
World Premiere
FORTY YEARS FROM YESTERDAY by Robert Machoian and Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck
United States – 2013 – 80 min.
with Chelsea Word, Bruce Graham, Rebekah Mott, Elizabeth Overton, Matthew Valdez
Production: Four thirty-three pictures, Paper Moon Films
First Feature
International Premiere
L'HARMONIE (Harmony) by Blaise Harrison
France/Switzerland – 2013 – 60 min.
Production: Les Films du Poisson
Co-production: Bande à part Films
World Sales: Doc&Film
First Feature
World Premiere
LE SENS DE L'HUMOUR (Sense of Humor) by Marilyne Canto
France – 2013 – 89 min.
with Marilyne Canto, Antoine Chappey, Samson Dajczman
Production: Christmas in July
World Sales: Films Distribution
First Feature
World Premiere
LOS INSÓLITOS PECES GATO (The Amazing Cat Fish) by Claudia Sainte-Luce
Mexico – 2013 – 87 min.
with Ximena Ayala, Lisa Owen, Sonia Franco, Wendy Guillén, Andrea Baeza
Production: Canibal Networks
World Sales: Pyramide International
Swiss distributor: Cineworx
First Feature
World Premiere
MANAKAMANA by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez
Nepal – 2013 – 117 min.
Documentary
Production: Sensory Ethnography Laboratory
First Feature - World Premiere
MOUTON by Gilles Deroo and Marianne Pistone
France – 2012 – 100 min.
with David Merabet, Michael Mormentyn, Cindy Dumont, Benjamin Cordier, Emmanuel Legrand
Production: BOULE DE SUIF production
First Feature
World Premiere
ROXANNE by Valentin Hotea
Romania/Hungary – 2013 – 97 min.
with Șerban Pavlu, Diana Dumbravă, Mihai Călin, Adrian Văncică, Valeria Seciu
Production: Hi Film Productions
Co-production: Abis Studio, Cor Leonis Ltd.
World Sales: Films Boutique
First Feature - World Premiere
SAI NAM TID SHOER (By the River) by Nontawat Numbenchapol
Thailand – 2013 – 71 min.
Production: Mobile lab project co.ltd, Ok-pi-dern co.ltd
World Premiere
THE DIRTIES by Matt Johnson
Canada/United States – 2013 – 83 min.
with Matt Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison, David Matheson
Production: 7800002 canada inc.
Co-production: Xyz films
First Feature - International Premiere
THE SPECIAL NEED by Carlo Zoratti
Germany/Italy – 2013 – 82 min.
Documentary
Production: DETAiLFILM
Co-production: Videomante
First Feature - World Premiere
THE STONE by Se-rae CHO
South Korea – 2013 – 113 min.
with Dong-in CHO, Roi-ha KIM, Won-sang PARK
Production: SHINE PICTURES
World Sales: FINECUT CO., LTD
First Feature - World Premiere
THE UGLY ONE by Eric Baudelaire
France/Lebanon/Japan – 2013 – 101 min.
with Rabih Mroué, Juliette Navis, Manal Khader
Production: Poulet-Malassis
World Premiere
THE UNITY OF ALL THINGS 物之合 by Alexander Carver and Daniel Schmidt
United States – 2013 – 97 min.
with Jennifer Kim, Szeming Celia Au, Andrea Chen, Teresa Hui, Haruka Hashimoto
Production: Alex Carver and Daniel Schmidt
First Feature - World Premiere
YUAN FANG (Distant) by Zhengfan Yang
China – 2013 – 88 min.
with Shaokai Chen, Tuzhen Chen, Jiayan He, Yuanhao Luo, Cheng Chen
Production: Burn the Film Production House
First Feature - World Premiere