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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Golshifteh Farahani Gets Locarno Honor From Zar Amir, Calls Cinema a 'Refuge' in a 'Dark World'
It was a very emotional Locarno opening night as Iranian female power, Gaza, and Armenia got the spotlight on the first night of the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on Wednesday. Iran-born actress Golshifteh Farahani received a big and cordial Swiss welcome and the Excellence Award Davide Campari on the picturesque lakeside town's Piazza Grande square. And in a special surprise, she was handed the award by fellow Iranian actress Zar Amir. 'I thought this prize should go to you, to all of us, to us, in this obscure, dark world,' Farahani told the Locarno crowd in an emotional acceptance speech. 'We still believe in art and culture. We take refuge in cinema. We watch movies, movies in which everyone is included. We feel love, anger, jealousy, no matter which side of the frontier we live on, no matter which God we believe in, no matter where we pray, no matter which nationality we are. We watch movies from all over the world, especially in Locarno. And this is where humanity somehow comes together.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Gaumont Marks 130 Years With Academy Museum Retrospective Neon Nabs Japanese Video Game Movie Adaptation 'Exit 8' Paramount to Premiere 'Boston Blue' at MIPCOM Continued the star: 'I think really this excellence prize goes to all of you. Each of you is a candle in this darkness. We are here celebrating human values in grace and dignity. Thank you for being here. Thank you for being such a great light in this dark world, because now we are shining very, very bright. And we will change this world through art, through culture. We will do it all together.' Amir also kept it emotional, telling Farahani: 'Thank you for being my soul sister, for being there for me and everyone who needs you every single moment of your life. You inspire us, all of us, me and many others, every single moment you exist. I love you.' The audience erupted into applause as the two women hugged before walking off the stage together. Farahani is also in town to present her most recent film, Julia Ducournau's Alpha, which premiered in the competition at Cannes this year, at the Swiss festival and take part in a public conversation with the festival audience. After Farahani's award ceremony, the Locarno opening film In the Land of Arto screened on the square's big outdoor screen. Tamara Stepanyan's drama, which stars Camille Cottin and Amir, follows a French woman who arrives in Armenia and discovers that her dead husband lied about his identity. Before the movie and award ceremony, Stepanyan, Amir, and other members of the Arto creative team discussed the movie, Armenian history, and honor of opening Locarno. Then, the festival served up a little surprise for the opening night audience in the form of a video message by Cottin, who can't be in Locarno due to other commitments. 'I'm sorry I cannot be at your side, Tamara, but I just wanted to thank you again for inviting me on this incredible journey, both artistic and geographical,' Cottin said. 'It was an unforgettable experience to travel through that country, Armenia, that I had never known before. I know how emotional it must be for you to be standing there, because you've been working on this film for many years, and both in terms of the political and personal perspective, this film means a lot to you.' Farahani, born in Tehran in 1983, emerged as an acting talent at an early age, leading to her breakthrough role in Dariush Mehrjui's The Pear Tree in 1998. The actress previously visited Locarno to present the Rajasthan-set The Song of Scorpions (2017) on the Piazza Grande. During Wednesday's opening event, Giona A. Nazzaro lauded Farahani 'an incredibly talented artist, and someone that has always told us how to stand our ground, how to be creative with choices and how she has always refused to be pigeonholed in roles, and always explored the possibilities of what an artist, an actor, could do.' He also mentioned Gaza in his Italian comments, citing that the 2025 fest selection includes 'films that have questioned us about the state of the world and too many wars that continue to involve millions of innocent people,' according to an online translation of his speech. 'As a community and as individuals, we have the duty to always keep our eyes open, especially when it comes to places where suffering is a daily struggle, and therefore denounce the intolerable destruction of Gaza and the terrible humanitarian tragedy that is affecting the Palestinian people through the systematic violence of bombs and oppression.' Farahani is one of several big-name Iranian film creatives attending Locarno78. Amir stars in the opening film, while director Jafar Panahi is presenting his Cannes Palme d'Or winner, It Was Just an Accident, and Mohammad Rasoulof is also in town. The 2025 Locarno festival runs through Aug. 16. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 25 Best U.S. Film Schools in 2025 The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jackie Chan Charms Locarno as He Receives Career Award: 'I Am 71. I Still Can Fight'
Hong Kong and global film icon Jackie Chan got a rapturous reception at the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on Saturday evening as he was honored with the Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard award, on the Swiss town's Piazza Grande square. 'Buona sera,' Chan said in showing off his Italian skills with a wave the second he hit the stage. When he received the award, he pointed out that it was 'very, very heavy.' More from The Hollywood Reporter After 'Fantasy,' Kukla Is Writing a Film About Women Stopping to Have Sex With Men Emma Thompson on Getting a "Stalking" Call From Donald Trump and Why 'Harry Potter' Is "Not Really an Important Part of My Creative Endeavor" How 'White Snail' Went From a Morgue in Belarus to a World Premiere in Locarno He then said: '[I am] just so happy and so honored to be here.' He continued with a thank you to Locarno and the crowd 'for giving me this sweet award' and thanked all directors and stars around the world who have 'made me look good.' And he particularly thanked the Jackie Chan fans around the globe, noting: 'Because of you, I am standing here.' Chan recalled how his father once asked him if he would still be able to fight at age 60. 'I am 71. I still can fight,' the star said to the delight of the crowd. 'Also, this year I'm in the film industry for 64 years.' Before posing for photos on stage, Chan closed with a wish for a world united and the words: 'Love and peace. Love you all! Ti amo!' He added kissing sounds. Even minutes after the ceremony, fans could still be heard screaming 'Jackie!' in the areas surrounding the Piazza Grande. Even before the superstar showed up on the stage of the huge central square in Locarno, fans were seen wearing Jackie Chan T-shirts and holding signs saying 'I Love Jackie Chan.' When the big screen at one point showed Chan wearing a short-sleeved shirt taking pictures on a balcony overlooking the square, the crowd started cheering and applauding in delight. When the screen showed the first images of Chan stepping onto the red carpet in different garb and holding two stuffed animal pandas, the crowd's excitement kicked into an even higher gear. One group of fans wearing matching red Jackie Chan T-shirts even started a 'Jackie! Jackie!' chant. On the red carpet, Chan also treated his fans to waves, big smiles, a kiss for a camera, and even a martial arts stance. Before he hit the stage, a sizzle reel showcased some of Chan's signature martial arts, stunt, and comedy skills. Locarno attendees and locals alike had already been buzzing about Chan sightings the day before, with reports of many people snapping photos of the star via their phones. As part of a tribute to his career, Chan also came to Locarno to introduce his films Project A (1983) and Police Story (1985), on both of which he worked as star and director. 'As a Hong Kong cinema fan — I've written three books on Hong Kong — Jackie Chan is a dream come true,' Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro recently told THR. Locarno organizers lauded Chan as an 'Asian megastar, master filmmaker, and Hollywood mainstay beloved for action films that bridged the gap between East and West,' adding that he has 'for almost 60 years been one of the world's most recognizable faces.' Added Nazzaro: 'Director, producer, actor, screenwriter, choreographer, singer, athlete, and daredevil stuntman, Jackie Chan is both a key figure in contemporary Asian cinema and one whose influence has rewritten the rules of Hollywood cinema. From his years at the China Drama Academy under Master Yu Jim-Yuen, working at a very young age as a stuntman in King Hu's masterpiece A Touch of Zen, Chan has continually reinvented martial arts cinema and much beyond it.' The Pardo alla Carriera is handed out with the support of Ascona-Locarno Tourism, the destination partner of the Locarno festival. Previous honorees include Francesco Rosi, Bruno Ganz, Claudia Cardinale, Johnnie To, Harry Belafonte, Mario Adorf, Jane Birkin, Costa-Gavras, Tsai Ming-liang, and, last year, Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 25 Best U.S. Film Schools in 2025 The 40 Greatest Needle Drops in Film History The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience
