Films by established auteurs and emerging talent, including the likes of Ben Rivers (Mare’s Nest, Bogancluch), Ratchapoom Bonpinchchok (Useful ghost), Carolyn Poje and Jonathan Fennell (Eat the night, Jessica forever), Antonin Beretjatko (Journey to the brink of war), Timotheus Angawan Kosno, Films (Wolfgang), Bani Khushnoudi (Fireflies), Hao Zhou, Deepak Rauniyar (White sun) and the The kite runner Actress Ilham Ehsas, part of the 2026 edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Parde dei Domani programme, a short and medium-length selection, was unveiled on Wednesday.
The Locarno Festival, which takes place in the picturesque city in Switzerland, calls this section dedicated to the “Cheetahs of Tomorrow,” in reference to the Cheetah Awards, “a lively space for expressive experimentation and innovative forms of cinematic poetry” and a “cornerstone” of its mission “to promote dialogue between generations and traditions and to support filmmakers who will define the future of cinematic expression.”
“The energy of Pardi di Domani clearly embodies the mission of the Locarno Film Festival: to build bridges between generations and cinematic traditions through dialogue, while supporting filmmakers whose work will help shape the future of cinema,” the festival said on Wednesday.
This year’s edition features 40 world premieres across three competitions and 29 countries. The Concorso Internazionale and Concorso Nazionale programs feature emerging talents, international and Swiss, respectively, who earned their international debut in Locarno. Meanwhile, Concorso Corti d’Autore screens short films by well-known directors.
“The War of the Worlds is a selection of 40 brave titles that reflect the public conflicts that shatter our present and the private battles that define our humanity,” said Eddie Bertozzi, Chairman of the Bardi dei Domani Selection Committee. “At its core, always, lies cinema’s ultimate quest: its need to reinvent itself, and our belief in the power of the image.”
Meanwhile, Locarno has also revealed the lineup for its 2026 Open Doors screening programme. The mission of the Open Doors program is to support filmmakers from underrepresented regions and countries where cinema as a form of expression is at risk. Given its current focus, this year’s short and feature films come from across the African continent and include the world premiere of Aimar Essie. La cura de mon per And the Swiss premiere of the film The Prophet By Ike Langa.
“The Open Doors screenings bring together 13 films from 12 African countries, reflecting a rich diversity of languages, beliefs and imagination. The selection weaves together fiction, documentary and hybrid works in a constellation of perspectives. It is an invitation to enter these films as if they were open spaces: places to listen, exchange and meet,” said Delphine Jeanneret and Ebi Ndaw, programmers of the Open Doors screenings.
The 79th edition of Locarno takes place from August 5 to 15.
Check out the film lineup for the 2026 Locarno Open Doors screenings and Pardi di Domani section below.
Open door offers
Features
Barney by Mohamed Sheikh – Somalia – 2025
The first Swiss offer
Catcher (The Gladiators) by Derhoua Kasunzo – Burkina Faso, France – Metropolitan,
Democratic Republic of the Congo – 2025
The first Swiss offer
The Cotton Queen by Susanna Mirghani – Germany, France, Palestine, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Arabia, Sudan – 2025
“Crocodile” by Critics, Petra Brettkeley – New Zealand, Nigeria – 2026
The first Swiss offer
DIYA by Achille Ronaimou – Chad, Germany, France, Ivory Coast – 2025
The first Swiss offer
Katanga La Danse des Scorpions directed by Dany Koyate – Burkina Faso – 2025
La cura de mon per (Cura my father) by Ayman Aymar Issa – Benin, Switzerland,
Germany – 2026
World premiere
O PROFETA (The Prophet) by Ike Langa – Mozambique, Qatar, South Africa – 2026
The first Swiss offer
Short and medium films
Concrete moves for Fajamo Fama Ndiaye – Senegal – 2025
The first Swiss offer
The Goat by Judy Kipingi – Kenya – 2025
The first Swiss offer
sKINs_ADDIS ABEBA Written by Rediet Haddis Yalew – Ethiopia – 2026
The first Swiss offer
SUBMERGIDO By Ariel Anez – Mozambique – 2025
The first Swiss offer
“Time for a Change” by Bocas Pascual – Portugal, Angola – 2024
Swiss Prime Minister
Bardi di Domani – Concorso Corti d’Autore
“Ashghitam” produced by Filmsaaz – France, Switzerland, Iran – 2026
World premiere
A Lament for the Forgotten, in an Endless War by Bani Khoshnoudi – Iran,
France – 2026
World premiere
ET SI THUY N’EXISTAIT PAS (And If They Don’t Exist) by Carlo Francisco
Manatad – Philippines, France, Indonesia – 2026
World premiere
Privately owned by Deepak Runyar – USA, Nepal, France – 2026
World premiere
QUELQUE PART DANS UN PAYS LIBRE (Somewhere in a Free Country) by
Antonin Beritjatko – France – 2026
World premiere
Shi Hu (It Really Happened) by Hao Zhou – USA, China – 2026
World premiere
“The Pond” by Caroline Bougie and Jonathan Fennell – France, Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
The Cow Comedy of Ratchaboom Bonpunchchuk – France – 2026
World premiere
The God Who Destroys by Jyoti Mistry – Austria, Sweden – 2026
World premiere
The Wind, A Wonderful Day by Ben Rivers – China, UK – 2026
World premiere
Pardi di Domani – Concorso Internazionale
Another Day in the Metal Box by Gleb Feldman – Ukraine – 2026
World premiere
“Cure” by Dorothea Sing Chang – China, UK – 2026
World premiere
Aurora Borealis by Valeria Kim – Hungary, Belgium, Portugal, Kazakhstan – 2026
World premiere
DANS LES RÊVES QUAND ON DORT PAS LA NUIT (In dreams when you can’t)
Sleeping at Night) by Rachel Gutgarts – France – 2026
World premiere
DRIFT by Jérémy Danon, Kiddy Smile – France – 2026
World premiere
Hershwe Fazanaward (Forgotten Astronaut) by Elham Ehsas –
Afghanistan, United Kingdom – 2026
World premiere
In the Next Silence by Sebastian Decasas – Qatar, USA, Colombia – 2026
World premiere
Khufu by Mahmoud Assi – Egypt, France, Sweden, Canada – 2026
World premiere
“Las Damas” by Camille Zehin – France – 2026
World premiere
Los Andres (THE WANDERERS) directed by Issa Luengo, Sofia Esteve – Spain – 2026
World premiere
MELK by Philipp Anthonessen – Belgium – 2026
World premiere
“Motrione” by Marco Cavazin – Italy – 2026
World premiere
NADUPA by Daniel Samuel – Tanzania – 2026
World premiere
NO TENGO BOCA, AUN ASÍ DEBO GRITAR (I don’t have a mouth, but I have to)
Screaming) by Diego Andres Murillo, Eduardo Andres Diaz – Venezuela, USA – 2026
World premiere
OBSCURA by Timotheus Angawan Kosno – Indonesia, Netherlands – 2026
World premiere
“Belloc” by Elisabeth Isaac, Marc Seguin – Canada – 2026
World premiere
PREMIER FEU (First Fire) designed by Blanca Camille Gallé – France, Spain – 2026
World premiere
The Architect Who Built His Own Collapse by Chun Tian Chen – Taiwan – 2026
World premiere
Together by NEOZOON – Germany – 2026
World premiere
Yek Rose Shirin (A Beautiful Day) by Omid Abdullah – Iran – 2026
World premiere
Pardi di Domani – Concorso Nazionale
ALLES GUTE (Take Care of Yourself) directed by Patricia Struben – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
GHERKING by Claudius Gentinetta – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
Because /Vostok (West/East) directed by Ilya Kanevaschini – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
Oil Maids by Hans Baumann – USA – 2026
World premiere
RESPIER UNE FOIS SUR TROIS by Charlene Genaud – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
Singularity by Marjolein Berretin – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
Resistance Street by Jean Scialella – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
First Rose by Astrit Ismaili – Kosovo, Switzerland, Netherlands – 2026
World premiere
Typhoon Mambo designed by Domenico Senga Pedroli – Switzerland, France, Thailand –
2026
World premiere
ZRUGG by Lars Moll – Switzerland – 2026
World premiere
