Locarno 2024 Awards: Lithuanian Drama TOXIC Dominates 77th Locarno Film Festival

The 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival came to a close with an award ceremony, which has been dominated by Lithuanian drama Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė and Austrian film Moon by Kurdwin Ayub.

Toxic emerged as the biggest winner of the festival. The Lithuanian film, directed by debuting filmmaker Saulė Bliuvaitė, clinched the Pardo d’Oro – Grand Prize of the Festival and City of Locarno, a recognition that came with a CHF 75,000 prize to be shared between the director and the producer.

The film follows 13-year-old Maria, who, after being abandoned by her mother, enters a mysterious modeling school in a bleak industrial town, where she navigates toxic beauty standards and relationships while seeking her identity amid a bond with another aspiring 13-year old model Kristina. Toxic also earned it the Swatch First Feature Award, highlighting it as the best debut film of the festival.

Additionally, the Ecumenical Prize was bestowed upon Bliuvaitė´s debut further affirming its profound impact on both audiences and critics alike. In total, the film walked away with three major awards, including the Second Prize from the Junior Jury in the Concorso Internazionale, securing its position as the festival's standout feature.

Following closely behind was Moon by Kurdwin Ayub from Austria, which also received significant recognition. Former martial artist Sarah leaves Austria to train three secluded sisters from a wealthy Jordanian family, only to find the seemingly ideal job turning unsettling as she discovers their isolation from the outside world.

The film was honored with the Special Jury Prize – Cities of Ascona and Losone, bringing with it CHF 30,000. Its exploration of contemporary themes and its distinct directorial voice also earned Moon the Europa Cinemas Label, a prize aimed at enhancing the film’s distribution across European cinema networks. In a further testament to its wide appeal, the film received a Special Mention from the Ecumenical Jury, rounding out its successful run at Locarno.

Lithuania film Drowning Dry by Laurynas Bareiša was another significant winner at the festival, securing the Pardo for Best Direction. The film sees two sisters organize a weekend getaway to celebrate Lukas' martial arts victory and Tomas' birthday. After a near-tragic accident involving one of their children, they find themselves becoming single mothers.

The film's ensemble cast was recognized with the Pardo for Best Performance, awarded to Gelminė Glemžaitė, Agnė Kaktaitė, Giedrius Kiela, and Paulius Markevičius. Their collective portrayal of family dynamics resonated strongly with both the jury and the audience.

South Korean auteur Hong Sangsoo’s 32nd film By the Stream earned accolade at the festival, with lead actress Kim Minhee receiving a Pardo for Best Performance for her portrayal of a college lecturer, who asks her uncle to direct a theatrical skit.

In the Concorso Cineasti del Presente, a section dedicated to showcasing emerging directors, the Pardo d’Oro went to Holy Electricity by Tato Kotetishvili from Georgia. The film follows young Gonga and his cousin Bart as they stumble upon a suitcase of rusty crosses in a scrap yard and turn them into neon crucifixes to sell door-to-door, leading to an unexpected quest for love and friendship in the suburbs of Tbilisi. The film also garnered recognition from the Junior Jury, who awarded it a prize in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente.

Denise Fernandes was celebrated as the Best Emerging Director for her work on Hanami. Set on a remote Cape Verde island where most seek to leave, Hanami follows young Nana as she battles a mysterious illness, journeys to a volcano for treatment, and later reconnects with her mother in a world where dreams and reality blur. The film also received a Special Mention in the Swatch First Feature section.

The Special Jury Prize CINÉ+ in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente was awarded to Listen to the Voices by Maxime Jean-Baptiste. Melrick, a 13-year-old boy, spends his summer vacation in Cayenne with his grandmother Nicole. His desire to learn to play the drum brings back the specter of Lucas, Nicole's son, also a drummer, who died in tragic conditions 11 years earlier. The film also received a Special Mention in the Swatch First Feature section, reflecting its powerful storytelling and cultural significance.

Ala Eddine Slim’s thriller fable Agora was recognized with the Pardo Verde, an award that honors films addressing environmental sustainability, reflecting the festival’s dedication to films with a broader social impact.

The full list of awards:

Concorso Internazionale

Pardo d’Oro – Grand Prize of the Festival and City of Locarno

Toxic -  Saulė Bliuvaitė (Lithuania)

Special Jury Prize – Cities of Ascona and Losone

Mond - Kurdwin Ayub (Austria)

Pardo for Best Direction – City and Region of Locarno

Drowning Dry - Laurynas Bareiša (Lithuania/Latvia)

Pardo for Best Performance

Gelminė Glemžaitė, Agnė Kaktaitė, Giedrius Kiela, Paulius Markevičius for Drowning Dry by Laurynas Bareiša (Lithuania/Latvia)

Pardo for Best Performance

Kim Minhee for By the Stream by Hong Sangsoo (South Korea)

Special Mentions

Youth (Hard Times) by WANG Bing (France/Luxembourg/ Netherlands), Salve Maria by Mar Coll, (Spain)

Concorso Cineasti del Presente

Pardo d’Oro – Concorso Cineasti del Presente

Holy Electricity by Tato Kotetishvili (Georgia/Netherlands)

Best Emerging Director Award – City and Region of Locarno

Denise Fernandes for Hanami (Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde)

Special Jury Prize CINÉ+

Listen to the Voices by Maxime Jean-Baptiste (Belgium/France/French Guiana)

Pardo for Best Performance

Callie Hernandez for Invention by Courtney Stephens (USA)

Pardo for Best Performance

Anna Mészöly for Lesson Learned by Bálint Szimler (Hungary)

Special Mentions

Lesson Learned by Bálint Szimler (Hungary)

When the Phone Rang by Iva Radivojević (Serbia/USA)

Pardi di Domani

Concorso Corti d’Autore

Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for the Best Auteur Short Film

Upshot by Maha Haj (Palestine/Italy/France)

Special Mention

The Masked Monster by Syeyoung Park (South Korea)

Locarno Film Festival Short Film Candidate – European Film Awards

La Fille qui Explose by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel (France)

Concorso Internazionale

Pardino d’Oro SRG SSR for the Best International Short Film

Washhh by Mickey Lai (Malaysia/Ireland)

Pardino d’Argento SRG SSR for the International Competition 

Hymn of the Plague by Ataka51 (Germany/Russia)

Pardi di Domani Best Direction Award – BONALUMI Engineering

Que Te Vaya Bonito, Rico by Joel Alfonso Vargas (United Kingdom/USA)

Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award

The Form by Melika Pazouki (Iran)

Special Mention

Freak by Claire Barnett (USA)

Concorso Nazionale

Pardino d’Oro Swiss Life for the Best Swiss Short Film

Sans Voix by Samuel Patthey (Switzerland)

Pardino d’Argento Swiss Life for the National Competition

Better Not Kill the Groove by Jonathan Leggett (Switzerland)

Best Swiss Newcomer Award

Gabriel Grosclaude for Lux Carne (Switzerland)

Special Mention

Progress Mining by Gabriel Böhmer (United Kingdom/Switzerland)

First Feature

Swatch First Feature Award

Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė (Lithuania)

MUBI Award – Debut Feature

Green Line by Sylvie Ballyot (France/Lebanon/Qatar)

Special Mentions

Hanami by Denise Fernandes (Switzerland/Portugal/Cape Verde)

Listen to the Voices by Maxime Jean-Baptiste (Belgium/France/French Guiana)

Pardo Verde

Agora by Ala Eddine Slim (Tunisia/France/Saudi Arabia/Qatar)

Special Mentions

Skill Issue by Willy Hans (Germany/Switzerland), Revolving Rounds by Johann Lurf and Christina Jauernik (Austria)

Ecumenical Prize

Toxic - Saulė Bliuvaitė (Lithuania)

Special Mention

Mond by Kurdwin Ayub (Austria)

FIPRESCI Prize

Youth (Hard Times) by WANG Bing (France/Luxembourg/Netherlands)

Europa Cinemas Label

Mond by Kurdwin Ayub (Austria)

Junior Jury

Concorso Internazionale

First Prize

Green Line by Sylvie Ballyot (France/Lebanon/Qatar)

Second Prize

Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė (Lithuania)

Third Prize

Salve Maria by Mar Coll (Spain)

“L’ambiente è qualità di vita”

Youth (Hard Times) by WANG Bing (France/Luxembourg/Netherlands)

Concorso Cineasti del Presente

Holy Electricity by Tato Kotetishvili (Georgia/Netherlands)

Special Mention

Olivia & Las Nubes by Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat (Dominican Republic)

Pardi di Domani

Concorso Internazionale

Razeh-Del by Maryam Tafakory (Iran/United Kingdom/Italy)

Concorso Nazionale

Sans Voix by Samuel Patthey (Switzerland)

Concorso Corti d’Autore

Upshot by Maha Haj (Palestine/Italy/France)

Special Mention – for the Concorso Internazionale

Punter by Jason Adam Maselle (South Africa/USA)

Special Mention – for the Concorso Nazionale

Lux Carne by Gabriel Grosclaude (Switzerland)

Open Doors Screenings

“L’ambiente è qualità di vita” Prize

Three Leaves by Eléonore Coyette and Sephora Monteau (Haiti/Belgium)

Semaine de la Critique Awards

Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique – Prix SRG SSR

Wir Erben by Simon Baumann (Switzerland)

Marco Zucchi Award

La Déposition by Claudia Marschal (France)