The Golden Leopard () is the top prize at the

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...

, an international film festival held annually in

Locarno , neighboring_municipalities= Ascona, Avegno, Cadenazzo, Cugnasco, Gerra (Verzasca), Gambarogno, Gordola, Lavertezzo, Losone, Minusio, Muralto, Orselina, Tegna, Tenero-Contra , twintowns =* Gagra, Georgia * Karlovy Vary, Czech ...

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

since 1946. Directors in the process of getting an international reputation are allowed to be entered in the competitive selection. The winning films are chosen by a jury. The award went under many names until it was named the ''Golden Leopard'' in 1968. The festival was not held in 1951 and the prize was not awarded in 1956 and 1982. As of 2009

René Clair René Clair (11 November 1898 – 15 March 1981), born René-Lucien Chomette, was a French filmmaker and writer. He first established his reputation in the 1920s as a director of silent films in which comedy was often mingled with fantasy. He wen ...

and

Jiří Trnka Jiří Trnka (; 24 February 1912 – 30 December 1969) was a Czech puppet-maker, illustrator, motion-picture animator and film director. In addition to his extensive career as an illustrator, especially of children's books, he is best kn ...

are the only two directors to have won the award twice, both of them winning in consecutive years.

Golden Leopard winners

For the first two years the award was known as ''Best Film'' (''Miglior film''). Then for several years the award went by the name of ''Grand Prize'' (''Gran premio''). In 1950 and 1951 the award was from the ''International Jury of Journalists'' (''Giuria internazionale dei giornalisti''); in 1953 and 1954 the award was from the ''International Jury of Critics'' (''Giuria internazionale della critica''); in 1955 the award was from the ''Jury of Swiss-Italian Radio'' (''Giuria della Radio della Svizzera Italiana''); in 1957 the award was from the ''Jury of the Swiss Association of Cinematographic Press'' (''Giuria dell'Associazione Svizzera della stampa cinematografica''). In 1958 and 1960–65 the award was the ''Golden Sail'' (''Vela d'oro''). In 1959 it was the ''Prize for Best Direction'' (''Premio per la migliore regia''). In 1966 and 1967 the prize was the ''Grand Prize of the Jury of Youth'' (''Gran premio della Giuria dei giovani''). Finally, it became the ''Golden Leopard'' in 1968.

References

External links

Official site

IMDb
{{Locarno International Film Festival International film awards Locarno Festival Swiss film awards * Awards established in 1946 1946 establishments in Switzerland