Locarno 2025 wraps, Nordic titles make their mark

The 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival (6–16 August) closed on a high note, celebrating cinema in all its forms, from daring avant-garde works to audience-friendly storytelling. Sold-out screenings, lively industry exchanges and the variety of its sidebars once again confirmed Locarno as a vibrant meeting place for cinephiles worldwide. The Swiss gathering’s top honour, the Pardo d’Oro, went to Tabi to Hibi by Japan’s Sho Miyake, whilst the Special Jury Prize was awarded to White Snail by Elsa Kremser and Levin Peter.

For the Nordics, this year’s edition stood out with a rich and diverse presence across the programme. Norway’s Janicke Askevold competed in the Concorso Internazionale with Solomamma, a co-production between Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, and Finland sold by Playtime. The film, which scooped the Ecumenical Jury prize, follows Edith, a journalist who embarks on single motherhood via sperm donation, only to see her carefully constructed life unsettled when her donor’s identity resurfaces.

After bowing in Cannes, Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi) was screened in the iconic Piazza Grande. Backed by Mer Film, Zentropa and Komplizen Film, and sold by mk2 Films, the pic stars Renate Reinsve, Elle Fanning, and Stellan Skarsgård in the leading roles.

In Cineasti del Presente, Becoming by Zhannat Alshanova, a co-production between France, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, and Lithuania with Sweden’s Kjellson & Wik, impressed with its sharp eye on personal transformation. The feature follows 17-year-old Mila, who escapes her chaotic family life by joining an open-water swimming team led by the enigmatic Vlad. But when her place is threatened, she must decide how far she’ll go to preserve her fragile sense of belonging.

Meanwhile, in the Semaine de la Critique two Nordic-backed projects stood out: Celtic Utopia (Útóipe Cheilteach) by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén, and Silent Legacy by Jenni Kivistö and Jussi Rastas. The former, produced by Stockholm-based MDEMC, scooped the strand’s Grand Prix and tells the story of a new Ireland and its vibrant music scene, but also that of a postcolonial society wrestling with its heritage. The latter, led by Finland’s Väki Films and co-produced with France and Burkina Faso, follows Sibiry, a choreographer seeking a connection between Finland and his native Burkina Faso.

Moreover, Anna Eriksson’s E (Finland) screened out of competition, offering a bold artistic vision staged by Ihode Cursum Perficio Production and supported by the Finnish Film Foundation, while younger audiences were catered for with The Badgers (Grevlingene), Paul Magnus Lundø’s Norwegian third feature about a boy’s dream of becoming a legacy scout, selected for Locarno Kids.

Industry activities also saw strong Nordic engagement. The Finnish Film Foundation partnered once more with the Match Me! networking programme, with producers Joon Tervakari (Tarasow Films), Paria Eskandari (Mozhi Films), and Pauliina Maus (Making Movies Oy) flying the Finnish flag. In the Locarno-adjacent Latvian Previews, Roach Coach(Trakmakāns) by Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen and Trond Jacobsen was unveiled – an animated adventure co-produced by Latvia’s Ego Media and Norway’s Bivrost Film & TV, now seeking world sales, distributors, and post-production partners.

As artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro put it, Locarno celebrated “the enduring and gentle power of cinema and its manifold ways of bringing communities together”. For Nordic filmmakers and producers, this year’s edition offered exactly that: visibility, connection and the promise of new creative journeys.

The full list of winners: CLICK HERE.