The winners are in, as the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival revealed its 2026 awards and special mentions in the Swiss town on Saturday.
In the international competition, Romanian director Florin Șerban’s Nu E Locul Tau Aici (You Don’t Belong Here) was honored with the Pardo d’Oro, or Golden Leopard.
The father-son drama, set in a small town, revolves around a man raising his teenage son, Ioan, alone after the death of his wife. He doesn’t know that his son gets up at night to cycle through town and vandalize cars with a gang of masked vigilantes. His world is shaken when he learns that the police suspect his son of murder.The film marks the Romanian director’s return to feature filmmaking after eight years. The jury lauded it “for the strength of its writing, the singularity of its vision, and its exceptional command of cinematic language.”
Meanwhile, the Pardo, or Leopard, for best director was awarded to Hong Sangsoo for Nun Dul Dega Eomne (Nowhere to Lay My Eyes). And among the performance honors, Monica Bellucci received one for her role in Giovanni Tortorici’s Ketticè.
In the Filmmakers of the Present Competition, La Ilusión De Un Verano Sin Fin (The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer) by Alessandra Sanguinetti was honored with the Golden Leopard.
