The Locarno Film Festival partners with the social media site for film fans Letterboxd about a new prize for this year's edition.
The Letterboxd Piazza Grande Award rewards a film screening at the legendary Piazza Grande, the Swiss festival's 8,000-seat open-air cinema in the heart of Locarno, which “combines both the values and artistic qualities of today's cinephile landscape with the commercial potential of the world. International festival circuit.” The winning title will receive extensive editorial coverage on Letterboxd and Locarno Film Festival channels to help 'build global awareness'.
A jury made up of Letterboxd editorial staff and young accredited critics attending the festival will vote on the winner.
“Over the past decade, Letterboxd has become one of the essential sites for film fans to share the films they love,” said Locarno Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro. “We are proud to be the first international festival that, together with Letterboxd, awards an award to films in the official selection, in this case the films shown in the real heart of our festival: under the stars in the Piazza Grande .”
Matthew Buchanan, co-founder of Letterboxd, added: “One of our guiding principles is finding ways to bring our audience of film lovers closer to the filmmakers at the forefront of the medium. We are pleased to partner with the Locarno Film Festival in its 77th incarnation, to provide coverage, community response and filmmaker support in the most beautiful outdoor settings.”
The ceremony for the inaugural Letterboxd Piazza Grande Award will take place in the Piazza Grande on Saturday evening, August 17.
The 77th Locarno Film Festival takes place from August 7 to 17.