The 31st Locarno Film Festival was held from 3 to 13 August 1978 in Locarno, Switzerland. The festival featured 22 films in competition from 18 countries, while 86 films were screened out of competition. American films were well represented at the festival this year with John Cassavetes' Opening Night featuring and the Bronze Leopard, the festival's third prize, being awarded to Girlfriends directed by Claudia Weill.
A key element this year was the retrospective for famed director and Locarno local Douglas Sirk, who had often attended the festival in the past. This was also the year Jean-Pierre Brossard became the new festival head, following the departure of artistic director Moritz de Hadeln.
The Golden Leopard, the festival's top prize, was awarded to The Idlers of the Fertile Valley directed by Nikos Panayotopoulos.
Jury
Valerio Zurlini, Italian director Marcel Carriere, Canadian director and producer Roger Jendly, Swiss actor Patricia Moraz, Swiss director Marta Meszaros, Hungarian director and writer Marie-Jose Nat, French actress Jean-Pierre Dikongue Pipa, Cameroonian director and writer
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Official Sections
The following films were screened in these sections: Main Program
Main Program / Feature Films In Competition Original Title English Title Director(s) Production Country Baara Work Souleymane Cissé Mali Bako, L'Autre Rive Bako, the Other Bank Jacques Champreux Senegal, France Burlesk Queen Burlesque Queen Celso Ad. Castillo Philippines Buyut Fi Dhalika Al-Zuqaq Bouthuut Fi Dhalika Al-Zuq Kassem Hawel Iraq Cseplo Gyuri Pal Schiffer Hungary Das Zweite Erwachen Der Christa Klages The Second Awakening of Christa Klages Margarethe Von Trotta Germany Diamante Bruto Rough Diamond Orlando Senna Brazil Fingers James Toback USA Girlfriends Claudia Weill USA Hoshizora No Marionette The Starry Sky's Marrione Hojin Hashiura Japan I Tembelides Tis Eforis Kiladas The Idlers of the Fertile Valley Nikos Panayotopoulos Greece Kleine Frieren Auch Im Sommer Small Freezes in Summer Peter von Gunten Switzerland La Morte Al Lavoro Death at Work Gianni Amelio Italia La Petite Ville D'Anara The Small Town of Anara Irakly Kvirikadzé Russia La Tortue Sur Le Dos The Turtle on the Back Luc Béraud France Le Toit The Roof Ivan Antonov Bulgaria Miris Poljskog Cveca The Fragrance of the Polish Flowers Srdjan Karanovic Yugoslavia Non Contate Su Di Noi Don't Count on Us Sergio Nuti Italia On Efface Tout We Erase Everything Pascal Vidal France Pokoj Z Widokiem Na Morze Room with a Sea View Janusz Zaorski Poland Two Solitudes Lionel Chetwind Canada Una Mujer, Un Hombre, Una Ciudad A Woman, a Man, a City Manuel Octavio Gomez Cuba
Special Sections
Open Forum Open Forum Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country China 9, Liberty 37 Monte Hellman Italy Die Allseitig Reduzierte Persönlichkeit-Redupers The all-Sided Reduced Personality Redupers Helke Sanders Germany Fluchtweg Nach Marseille Escape Path to Marseille Ingemo Engstöm, Gerhard Theuring Germany Harlan County Barbara Kopple United States Il Regno Di Napoli The Kingdom of Naples Werner Schroeter Germany L'Albero Degli Zoccoli The Clog Tree Ermanno Olmi Italy Lulu Roland Chase United States Olyan, Mint Otthon It's Like at Home Marta Meszaros Hungary Opening Night John Cassavetes United States Roberte Robert Pierre Zucca France The Gardener'S Son Richard Pearce United States Word Is Out Marisposa Film Group United States
Information Information Screenings Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Angel City Jon Jost United States Docteur Poenaru Dinu Tanase Romania Kanchana Sita Govindan Arivindan India La Rabia The Rage Eugeni Anglada Spain La Vie T'En As Qu'Une Life you Have One Jean-Pierre Etard, Abraham Ségal France Last Chant Jon Jost United States Le Prix De La Liberte The Price of Freedom Jean-Pierre Dikongué-Pipa Cameroon Le Saut Du Toit The Roof Jump Vladimir Grigoriev Russia Madame X - Eine Absolute Herrscherin Madame X - An Absolute Ruler Ulrike Ottinger Germany
Young Authors On Italian Television (1977-1978) Young Authors On Italian Television (1977-1978) RAI Network Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Ancora Un Giorno One more Day Mimmo Rafele Italy Aspetterò I will Wait Mario Foglietti Italy Cantar Di Tempi Oscuri Sing of Dark Times Nino Bizzarri Italy Figlioli Miei Marxisti Immaginari My Children's Imaginary Marxists Franco Albano Italy Il Grande Bob He Big Bob Nanni Fabbri Italy La Macchina Cinema The Cinema Machine Silvano Agosti, Marco Bellocchio Italy Marcello Salvatore Piscicelli Italy Metallurgic Disco Nereo Rapetti Italy Michele Alla Ricerca Della Felicità Michele in Search of Happiness Alberto Grifi Italy Morte Di Un Operatore Death of an Operator Faliero Rosati Italy Nell'Agro Pontino In the Pontine Countryside Nicolò Ferrari Italy Quasi Un Uomo Almost a Man Oddo Bracci Italy Storia Senza Parole Story without Words Biagio Proietti Italy Vent'Anni Di Tre Generazioni: L'Amore Twenty Years of Three Generations: Love Giuseppe Bellecca Italy
Retrospective - Douglas Sirk Retrospective Douglas Sirk Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Accord Final Douglas Sirk, Ignacy Rosenkranz Bay 1939 France, Switzerland All I Desire Douglas Sirk 1953 USA All That Heaven Allows Douglas Sirk 1955 USA Das Hofkonzert The Court Concert Douglas Sirk 1936 Germany Das Mädchen Von Moorhof The Girl from Moorhof Douglas Sirk 1935 Germany Hitler'S Madman Douglas Sirk 1942 USA Imitation Of Life Douglas Sirk 1958 USA Lured/Personal Column Douglas Sirk 1946 USA No Room For The Groom Douglas Sirk 1952 USA Schlussakkord Final Chord Douglas Sirk 1936 Germany Sprich Zu Mir Wie Der Regen Speak to Me Like the Rain Douglas Sirk 1975 Germany Summer Storm Douglas Sirk 1944 USA Sylvesternacht Sylvestern Night Douglas Sirk 1977 Germany The Tarnished Angels Douglas Sirk 1957 USA Written In The Wind Douglas Sirk 1956 USA
Film Critics Week FIPRESCI - International Federation of Film Critics Week Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country A Scandal In Paris Douglas Sirk 1945 USA Entends Le Coq Hear the Rooster Stéphane Dimitrov Bulgaria Filmroman Movie Novel Istva Darday, Yörgyi Szalai Hungary In Alle Stilte In all of Them Ralf Boumans Belgium La Lutte Des Aveugles The Struggle of the Blind Marie Hadzimichalis-Papalios Greece La Mort Du Grand-Père Ou Le Sommeil Du Juste The Death of the Grandfather or the Sleep of the Just Jacqueline Veuve Switzerland Ruzove Sny Ruzova Dreams Dusan Hanak Czech Republic Sous-Ets Sub-Statements Yaky Yosha Israel
Swiss Information Swiss Information - Feature Films Original Title English Title Director(s) Year Production Country Alzir Oder Der Neue Kontinent Alzir or the New Continent Thomas Koerfer Switzerland Chronik Von Prugiasco Chronicle of Prugiasco Remo Legnazzi Switzerland Das Blut An Den Lippen Des Liebenden The Blood on the Lovers' Lips Christian Schocher Switzerland Le Desert Des Mediocres The Desert of Mediocres Hank Vogel Switzerland Reperages Reperes Michel Soutter Switzerland Stillleben Still Life Elisabeth Gujer Switzerland Südseereise South Seed Sebastian C. Schroeder Switzerland Tauwetter Markus Imhoof SwitzerlandSwiss Information - Medium-Length Films Eiskalte Vögel Ice Cold Birds Urs Egger Switzerland Horizonville Alain Klarer Switzerland Hotel Locarno Locarno Hotel Bernard Weber Switzerland Mir Si Ir Glicheschtrass Ufgwachse I Like the Remo Legnazzi Switzerland Palm Beach Michel Bory SwitzerlandSwiss Information - Short Animation Films Anima Ernst Ansorge, Gisèle Ansorge Switzerland Aventures Adventures Otmar Gutmann Switzerland Das Kleine Trickfilmbrevier The Small Cartoon Brevivier Dany Hummel, Jörg Stadler Switzerland Die Nummer The Number Peter Haas Switzerland Elzeard Roberto Ostinelli Switzerland Etude De La Biologie Animale Study of Animal Biology Robi Engler Switzerland Fitness Gilbert Mayer Switzerland Hors-Jeu Offside Georges Schwizgebel Switzerland La Cage Du Loup The Wolf Cage Martial Wannaz Switzerland Made In Hong-Kong Georges Dufaux Switzerland Marche Noir Black Market Claude Luyet Switzerland One Of Those Quiet Days In The Tube Factory Heinz Schmid Switzerland Smile 1 + 2 + 3 Giisèle Ansorge, Ernst Ansorge Switzerland Swiss Graffiti Monique Renault, Jacqueline Veuve Switzerland The Four Seasons Hans Glanzmann Switzerland
Official Awards International Jury
Golden Leopard: The Idlers of the Fertile Valley directed by Nikos Panayotopoulos Silver Leopard: POKOJ Z WIDOKIEM NA MORZE by Janusz Zaorski Bronze Leopard: GIRLFRIENDS directed by Claudia Weill, awardee Melanie Mayron Ernest Artaria Prize: BAARA by Souleymane Cissé, CSEPLO GYURI by Pal Schiffer International Jury Mention: BAKO, L’AUTRE RIVE by Jacques Champreux Oecumenical Jury
Oecumenical Jury’s honor diploma: CSEPLO GYURI by Pal Schiffer, BAKO, L’AUTRE RIVE by Jacques Champreux, BAARA by Souleymane Cissé FIPRESCI Jury
International Critics mention: LA PETITE VILLE D’ANARA by Irakly Kvirikadzé, POKOJ Z WIDOKIEM NA MORZE by Janusz Zaorski, LA MORTE AL LAVORO by Gianni Amelio Women’s Jury
Women’s Jury Prize: FLUCHTWEG NACH MARSEILLE by Ingemo Engstöm and Gerhard Theuring Source:
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