Canadian cinema will be in the spotlight at the 78th Locarno Film Festival, with four feature-length films and three short films all making their world premieres at the event. Additionally, Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s “Memory Box” (a France/Lebanon/Canada/Qatar coproduction) will be featured in Histoire(s) du Cinéma and will receive the prestigious Raimondo Rezzonico Award. Beyond the films in official selection, Canada is also the focus country at the 14th edition of First Look, an industry initiative that serves as a key post-production platform for international arthouse projects.
In the Filmmakers of the Present competition, two narrative Canadian features have been selected. The first is “Blue Heron,” the debut feature from director Sophy Romvari, a Canada/Hungary coproduction funded through Telefilm’s Talent to Watch Program. The second is Éric K. Boulianne’s directorial debut “Folichonneries”; his previous short “Faire un enfant” won the Best Director award at the 76th Locarno Film Festival in 2023. Competing in the International Competition is Ben Rivers’s “Mare’s Nest” (a UK/France/Canada coproduction), while “Deathstalker,” a genre film directed by Steven Kostanski and executive produced by Slash from Guns N’ Roses, appears in the non-competitive section.
In the shorts competition, three Canadian productions—all from Quebec—have been selected. These include “Solitudes” by Ryan McKenna, marking his second short film selected at Locarno; “BOA” by Alexandre Dostie (a Canada/France coproduction); and the animated short “Ce qu’on laisse derrière” (“What We Leave Behind”) by Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte, whose previous work was shortlisted at the 2025 Oscars®.
Julie Roy, Executive Director and CEO of Telefilm Canada emphasized the important role of that country in the festival: “Canada makes a powerful mark at Locarno with eight films in selection, one prestigious award and six promising teams in First Look — a record-breaking celebration of Canadian talent!. Locarno has long championed Canadian voices like Denis Côté, Trevor Anderson and Matthew Rankin, and this year reaffirms Canada’s growing impact on global cinema. Our expanding international collaborations and audience markets not only reflect the strength of our storytelling today but also lay a strong foundation for the next generation of storytellers to thrive on the world stage," stated.
Locarno’s First Look, held in partnership with Telefilm Canada, is set to showcase six Canadian feature-length films currently in post-production, with the goal of enhancing their international sales and festival prospects. This industry-oriented initiative offers an international platform for Canadian producers to introduce their upcoming projects through curated screenings for sales agents, buyers, and festival programmers.
After receiving more than 30 submissions, the six selected feature-length films are: “Nina Roza” by Geneviève Dulude-De Celles (Quebec), “Lhasa” by Sophie Leblond (Quebec), “Lunar Sway” by Nick Butler (British Columbia), “Veins” by Raymond St-Jean (Quebec), “We Will Not Be Silenced” by Catherine Hébert and Elric Robichon (Quebec), and “Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants” by Bryce Hodgson (a British Columbia/Ontario/Quebec coproduction).
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