Canadian talent comes out in force at the 2013 Locarno International Film Festival
Montreal, July 22, 2013 – Canadian talent will be highly visible at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival, in Switzerland, which runs from August 7 to 17, 2013. Six Canadian films will be screened at the festival: three features—the coproduction Gare du Nord, by Claire Simon, Gabrielle, by Louise Archambault, and The Dirties, by Matthew Johnson; and three shorts—Acrobat, by Eduardo Menz, Quelqu’un d’extraordinaire, by Monia Chokri, and L’Ours, by Dan Karo. Four of the six films will be presented in competitive sections.
In addition, two Canadian personalities have been invited to sit on festival juries this year. The internationally renowned electro-rock singer Peaches will be a member of the jury for the competitive section Cineasti del presente; it should also be noted that Peaches’ first feature film, Peaches Does Herself, will be screened at the festival this year. Shelly Kraicer, a well-known film critic and authority on Asian cinema whose writing has appeared in such leading publications as Cinema Scope, The Village Voice and Screen International, will sit on the Best First Feature jury.
Launched in 1946, the Locarno International Film Festival established its reputation by concentrating exclusively on auteur films. The Festival awards cash prizes to filmmakers in various categories.
Canadian feature films at the Festival
Concorso internazionale (international competition)
Gare du Nord, by Claire Simon
A France-Canada coproduction produced by Les Films d’ici and Productions Thalie, this feature stars actress Monia Chokri(Xavier Dolan’s Les Amours imaginaires), whose first short, Quelqu’un d’extraordinaire, will also be screened at the festival. This year, 20 features are in international competition for the Golden Leopard award.
International sales: Les Films d’ici
Piazza Grande
An outdoor screening space in Locarno’s Renaissance square, which can hold up to 8,000 spectators. The audience votes on the UBS audience award. Gabrielle is Louise Archambault’s second feature film after Familia, which screened in the international competition section at Locarno in 2005.
Production: micro_scope
International sales: Entertainment One
Cineasti del presente (Filmmakers of the Present)
Competitive section dedicated to first or second features. The Dirties, Matthew Johnson’s debut feature, won two awards at the 2013 Slamdance Film Festival, including the Jury Award for Narrative Feature.
Production: Echo Pictures
International sales: XYZ films (United States)
Canadian shorts at the Festival
Pardi Di Domani international competition – short films
Acrobat, by Eduardo Menz
Production: Metafilms
Quelqu’un d’extraordinaire, by Monia Chokri
Production: Metafilms
Histoire(s) du cinéma – short films
L’Ours, by Dan Karo
Production: Metafilms and La maison de prod