The lure of the Locarno Film Festival

The film screenings on Piazza Grande are one of Locarno's attractions. Against this spectacular historical backdrop, 17 films will be shown on the world's largest screen. Nine of them are competing for the coveted audience award. Films will also be vying for the Piazza Grande Award given by Variety, the renowned US film magazine, as well as the Swatch First Feature Award.

Les Beaux Esprits, a feature film by French director Vianney Lebasque, is based on a true story: a few mentally impaired athletes drop out of a French basketball team, and the coach fears losing a grant for his team. He decides on a scam - and travels to the Sydney Paralympics with a team of healthy players pretending to be mentally disabled.

Already successful, the American director, screenwriter and producer came up with the idea of Stan Laurel (r.) and Oliver Hardy as a comedy duo in 1926. Leo McCarey (1898-1969) had an unprecedented Hollywood career. The 1929 film "Liberty" (above) is just one of 109 films shown at the McCarey retrospective in Locarno.

Seeking nationwide attention, a trio of right-wing terrorists carries out a series of brutal attacks in this film by German director Jan Bonny. A Winter's Tale is disturbingly topical in light of the recent trial of the NSU neo-Nazi gang in Germany. The film is not only about right-wing extremism however. As it says in the press release: "Love turns into hate, desire into murder."

A psychotherapist and divorced father, Maximilian worries about his patients, his daughters, his ex-wife and his melancholy dog. Max's predictable world is shaken when he meets Sophie, a foley artist. Sandra Nettelbeck'a tragicomedy tells the story of a man facing a midlife crisis.

Nothing is good in Eva Trobisch's film "All good," a movie about rape and its impact. Trobisch and her team of actors, above all leading actress Aenne Schwarz (l.), tread carefully with this sensitive topic. For this film, Schwarz won the new talent award for best actress, and Trobisch won the new talent award for best director at the 2018 Munich Film Festival.

Flashes of subtle irony and witty humor in dreamy, innocent characters: The Locarno Film Festival gives the Leopard Club Award in tribute to American actress Meg Ryan, known the world over for romantic comedies including the "When Harry met Sally" from 1989 (above). American actor Ethan Hawke receives the Excellence Award and presents his new film ,"Blaze", in Locarno.

This year's festival, which gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy open air movies on the Piazza Grande square from August 1 to 11, is the last one at Locarno for artistic director Carlo Chatrian. In 2019 he takes over the management of the renowned Berlin Film Festival along with Mariette Rissenbeek.