14 July 2009

The Philippine Embassy in Berne reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the city of Locarno, the summer capital of Switzerland, will serve as host to the 62nd Film Festival Locarno from 5-15 August 2009 and provide a distinctive venue for a major international film competition.  Every year in August, around 180,000 cinema-goers, 1,100 journalists, and 3,400 professionals converge on the small Swiss-Italian town of Locarno, right in the heart of Europe, which becomes the world capital of international cinema for eleven days. 

This year, Filipino director Brillante Mendoza, grand winner in the Best Director category in the recently concluded 2009 Cannes International Film Festival will serve as member of the jury for the Filmmakers of the Present Competition for the 62nd Film Festival Locarno.  Mendoza was discovered in Locarno in 2005 with his film Masahista which won the Golden Leopard in the Video Competition.

The Locarno Festival has made an asset of its unique backdrop as it is geographically located at the crossroads of three major regions of Switzerland, capturing audiences which represent three major European cultures (Italian, German and French). Its long-standing tradition of openness and dialogue has made it an ideal platform for the promotion of national cinemas from Europe and the world over, from South America to Asia. Locarno knows no borders, neither geographic, thematic nor stylistic, and via its dozen different sections welcomes all kinds of films, and all kinds of formats.

Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland Maria Theresa P. Lazaro said that the choice of Mr. Brillante Mendoza as a member of the jury in one of Locarno’s Film Festival category is a recognition of the Filipino’s artistry, creativity, and technical mastery.