Films by established auteurs and emerging talents, including the likes of Ben Rivers (Mare’s Nest, Bogancloch), Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (A Useful Ghost), Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel (Eat the Night, Jessica Forever), Antonin Peretjatko (Journey to the Brink of War), Timoteus Anggawan Kusno, Filmsaaz (Wolfgang), Bani Khoshnoudi (Fireflies), Hao Zhou, Deepak Rauniyar (White Sun) and The Kite Runner actor Elham Ehsas, are part of the 2026 edition of the Locarno Film Festival‘s Pardi di Domani program, its short and medium-length selection, unveiled on Wednesday.
The Locarno fest, taking place in the picturesque town in Switzerland, calls this section dedicated to the “Leopards of Tomorrow,” a reference to its Leopard awards, “a vital space for expressive experimentation and innovative forms of cinematic poetry” and “a cornerstone” of its mission “to foster dialogue between generations and traditions and to support the filmmakers who will define the future of cinematic expression.”
On Wednesday, the fest said: “The energy of Pardi di Domani vividly embodies the mission of the Locarno Film Festival: bridging generations and cinematic traditions through dialogue, while championing the filmmakers whose work will help shape cinema’s future.”This year’s edition presents 40 world premieres across three competitions and 29 countries. The Concorso Internazionale and Concorso Nazionale programs feature emerging talents, international and Swiss, respectively, gaining their first international exposure in Locarno. The Concorso Corti d’Autore, meanwhile, showcases short films by established directors.
