Locarno Monitoring Situation Following SAG-AFTRA Vote, Fest Head Says Strike Is An “Unmistakable Signal” Of The Issues That “Plague” Contemporary Cinema
The Locarno Film Festival has said it is “monitoring the situation” around the availability of acting talent following SAG-AFTRA’s decision to move forward with strike action last night.
Locarno, mounted on the Italian-Swiss border, will be one of the first international festivals impacted by the strike, with an early August kick-off date. And in a statement attributed to Festival Director Giona A. Nazzaro and passed to Deadline, the fest said it was currently reaching out to talent to gauge how the strike may shift their commitments.
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“In light of the announced SAG-AFTRA strike, we are aware of the potential impact this situation may have on the artists involved and their professional commitments,” the statement read. “We are monitoring the situation and we are getting in contact with our guests to have a better understanding of their participation in this year’s edition of the Festival, and hence try to mitigate the consequences this might have on the organization of our event.”
Later in the statement, the festival said it supports the right of SAG members to “raise awareness on their current working situation.”
“We consider this strike as an unmistakable signal that draws attention to the issues that plague the contemporary film world,” the statement read.
Unspooling over just under two weeks, Locarno hosts an Official Competition and several sidebar sections as well as an open-air screenings program for local audiences. A large part of the festival’s program is also based around the presentation of its career achievement awards, which often attract high-profile names to the fest. This year Riz Ahmed was set to receive the Excellence Award Davide Campari at the opening night ceremony on the festival’s landmark Piazza Grande open-air cinema, while Stellan Skarsgård was set for the Honorary Career Leopard Award. Other names set to visit the festival this year include Cate Blanchett, Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Stellan Skarsgård, and Zar Amir Ebrahimi.
Concluding the statement, the fest said it will “continue to provide a stage for films and artists committed to promoting creativity, diversity and innovation in cinema in all its forms, with full respect for union agreements and the individual.”
“We trust in a constructive confrontation and in the search for all sustainable solutions that can overcome the current challenges and ensure a better future for all professional categories,” the statement ended.
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