Locarno Opens 79th Edition With a Programming Pitch Against Algorithms

The 79th Locarno Film Festival opened on 5 August 2026 with artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro framing curation as resistance to recommendation engines. "Welcome to Locarno, where your algorithm does not work anymore," he told Deadline. Nazzaro rejected the split between popular and "highbrow" cinema, saying different forms should coexist with equal dignity in the festival's public space.