The president of the jury of the International Competition of the 70th Locarno Film Festival will be French film critic, screenwriter and director Olivier Assayas. Being one of the most highly regarded contemporary filmmakers, Assayas has made 9 full-length features, ranging across a variety of subjects, places and genres. As an auteur for whom formal research is tied to narrative requirements, Assayas has proved adept at always bringing out the talent of his cast.
The Filmmakers of the Present jury will be presided over by a familiar face for the Locarno public, Yousry Nasrallah. An assistant to Youssef Chahine, Nasrallah made his debut in 1988 with Vols d’été. He has presented several of his films at Locarno, including the touching documentary A propos des garcons, des filles et du voile (1995) and Brooks, Meadows and Lovely Faces, an entry in last year’s International Competition. Nasrallah makes films for a cinema of popular kind, highly charged with sensuality and strongly political.
The President of the Pardi di domani Competition jury will be the immensely popular French film actress Sabine Azéma. Twice a winner of a César award for Best Actress, Azéma became something of a personal muse for director Alain Resnais, with whom she made her debut in 1983. Her performances have always been at the forefront of cinema based on research and discovery, highlighting an ideal sensibility for meeting with and responding to the work of the filmmakers of tomorrow.
The 70th Locarno Festival will be held from 2 to 12 August 2017.
