Meet the Juries of Locarno78

The juries for the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, taking place from 6 to 16 August 2025, have been announced. A distinguished group of filmmakers, actors, producers, and cultural figures will gather in Locarno to decide the winner of the Pardo d’Oro and other major awards to be presented at the Festival’s Award Ceremony.

ans both stage and screen, and who herself won the Pardo for Best Actress in 2023 for her role in Ena Sendijarević’s Sweet Dreams. Together, they will decide the winner of the prestigious Pardo d’Oro, as well as other prizes.

The Concorso Cineasti del Presente, dedicated to emerging directors presenting their first or second feature, will be judged by Asmara Abigail, the Indonesian actress best known to audiences in Locarno for her dazzling performance in Ming Jin Woo's FIPRESCI-winning premiere Stone Turtle (2022); La Frances Hui, Curator of Film at MoMA and Co-chair of the festival New Directors/New Films; and Kani Kusruti, a versatile Indian actress known for her dynamic roles, including Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light.

For the Pardi di Domani (Leopards of Tomorrow) section, which celebrates short films, the jury features Jihan El Tahri, a Franco-Egyptian film director, and visual artist; Lemohang Mosese, a Lesotho-born filmmaker and visual artist whose work has garnered international attention at major festivals in recent years; and Sara Serraiocco, an Italian actress recognized for her diverse performances, including in the lead role in Sulla terra leggeri, which featured in the Concorso Internazionale at Locarno77.

The Swatch First Feature Award will be decided by James Hawkinson, an Emmy award-winning cinematographer of television shows like The Man in the High Castle, Hannibal, Bel-Air, and Gotham Knights; Judith Lou Lévy, a producer with a keen eye for innovative storytelling who has shepherded feature films by the likes of Mati Diop and Nadav Lapid; and Patricia Mazuy, a French director celebrated for her unique cinematic voice, including in the celebrated and controversial Saturn Bowling (Concorso Internazionale, Locarno75).

The Pardo Verde jury, which honors films making a significant contribution to environmental awareness and action, comprises Michael Almereyda, American independent director, writer, and producer; Martina Parenti, an Italian director known for her impactful documentaries made with co-director Massimo D'Anolfi; and Seta Thakur, Head of Communications and Social Innovation at Wyss Academy for Nature.

Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival: “We are grateful to all the artists that have accepted our invitation to serve on juries at the Locarno Film Festival and thus help introduce a selection of truly surprising and innovative films to the world. We wanted to have juries that would share with us the pleasure of discovering filmmakers, both established and new; jurors whose gazes are both curious and generous. We wanted visionary artists that we know are still able of being moved by discoveries and surprises. We entrust these juries with our work. We are convinced that there could not be a better launchpad for all these films than the juries of the Locarno Film Festival.”

For more information and full biographies of the jury members, please visit the official Locarno Film Festival website.

The 78th Locarno Film Festival will take place from 6 to 16 August 2025.