51st Locarno Film Festival

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51st Locarno Film Festival — a brief overview

The 51st Locarno Film Festival took place in Locarno, Switzerland, from August 5 to August 15, 1998. The opening film was Mulan, directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, which screened at the Piazza Grande, the festival’s large outdoor venue. In total, 20 films competed, with 11 of them being first or second features.

Highlights and notable moments
- Opening issues: The festival’s budget and direction caused a public dispute between festival president Raimondo Rezzonico and festival director Marco Mueller. Mueller pressed for more budget control and a three-year contract; he had effectively resigned before the festival began but agreed to stay through its end. A jury later issued an open letter of support for Mueller.
- Disruptions: A large replica statue of the Golden Leopard was stolen, and jury member Goran Bregović left the festival early, not voting.
- Audience prize: Ken Loach’s My Name Is Joe won the Audience Award.

Awards and honors
- Golden Leopard: Mr. Zhao, directed by Lü Yue (China).
- Silver Leopard (New Cinema): Raghs-E-Khak (Dance of Dust), directed by Abolfazl Jalili.
- Silver Leopard (Young Cinema): Beshkempir, directed by Aktan Abdikalikov.
- Bronze Leopard (Actors): Rossy De Palma in Hors Jeu; Adam Bousdoukos, Aleksander Jovanovic, and Mehmet Kurtulus in Kurz Und Schmerzlos.
- Special Jury Prize: Vremya Tantsora (Dance of Dust), directed by Vadim Abdrashitov.
- Ecumenical Jury: Ecumenical Jury Award went to Titanic Town, directed by Roger Michell; there were special mentions for Beshkempir and Ikinai.
- FIPRESCI Prize: L’Arbre de les Cireres (The Cherry Tree), directed by Marc Recha; special mention for Sib by Samira Makhmalbaf.
- CICAE Prize: Raghs-E-Khak (Dance of Dust); special mention for Sombre by Philippe Grandrieux.
- FICC/IFFS Prize: Don Quijote Prize awarded to Beshkempir.

Jury and participants
- Official Jury was led by Robert Kramer and included Irene Bignardi, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Davide Ferrario, Goran Bregović (who left early), Jaqueline Veuve, and two additional members, totaling eight jurors.
- The festival featured several competitive strands, including Piazza Grande (the popular outdoor screenings), International Competition, Filmmakers of the Present, Leopards of Tomorrow, and independent sections like Critics Week and Swiss Cinema. A retrospective honored Marco Bellocchio, while other programs spotlighted Harun Farocki’s works, among others.

Piazza Grande screenings (select examples)
- Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, directed by Steve Miner (USA)
- Dr. Akagi, directed by Shōhei Imamura (Japan)
- Life Is Beautiful (La Vita È Bella), directed by Roberto Benigni (Italy)
- Mulan, directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook (USA)
- My Name Is Joe, directed by Ken Loach (Great Britain)
- Small Soldiers, directed by Joe Dante (USA)

Independent and special programs
- Critics Week (Semaine de la Critique) showcased new voices with titles such as Brain Concert (Switzerland) and Moment of Impact (Julia Loktev, USA).
- Swiss Cinema featured rediscovered Swiss classics and contemporary Swiss works.
- A retrospective program revisited Marco Bellocchio’s Iberian and Italian-era films; Farocki’s encyclopedia program presented Farocki’s influential documentary works.
- Other sections included Cinema/Cinemas, Special Programs, Special Projection, and Treasures of the Swiss Cinematheque.

Official website
- For more information, the Locarno Film Festival’s official site provides details on Palmares, program notes, and archives.

The 1998 Locarno festival combined celebrated premieres with controversy and upheaval, leaving a lasting impression on the festival’s direction and the broader European film scene.