Director Cecilia Kang. Photo credit: Locarno Film Festival / Ti-Press
The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival concluded on August 16, 2025, in Switzerland, unveiling its list of laureates and reaffirming the festival’s commitment to championing new voices from around the globe. Among this year’s honorees, three Latin American films stood out with notable recognition.
In the Cineasti del Presente competition, dedicated to first and second features, Korean-Argentine director Cecilia Kang was awarded Best Emerging Director for her debut feature Hijo mayor. The film follows Lila, a young Korean-Argentine girl, who grapples with the complexities of her identity as she searches for her place in the world. Eighteen years earlier, her father Antonio arrived in Latin America, risking everything on the promise of a young immigrant’s dream. This family saga explores the past as a way to reshape and understand the present.
In the Pardi di Domani competition, which spotlights short films by emerging talents, the award for Best Direction was presented to Primera Enseñanza, co-directed by Cuban filmmaker Aria Sánchez and Brazilian filmmaker Marina Meira. Set in a rural school, the short film captures the daily rhythms of childhood, paying close attention to how children negotiate authority and discipline while carving out small spaces of freedom. Through a language of silences, gestures, and fleeting moments, Sánchez and Meira create a nuanced portrait of youth.
Finally, Rio Remains Beautiful / O Rio de Janeiro Continua Lindo, directed by Swiss-Brazilian filmmaker Felipe Casanova and co-produced by Belgium, Brazil, and Switzerland, received the Pardino d’Oro SRG SSR for Best Swiss Short Film and was also selected as a Locarno Film Festival Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards. The film offers a reflective visual journey, blending color and black-and-white footage to evoke the emotional and physical textures of Rio de Janeiro.
