Eight of the 17 films receiving their respective world premieres as the official Concorso Internazionale at Locarno 2016 were from female directors, so it's fitting that one of them should take the top prize from such an inclusive festival. Bulgarian filmmaker Ralitza Petrova's debut feature film Godless won both the Pardo d'Oro and the prize for Best Actress; the film is also competing for the Heart of Sarajevo at the Sarajevo Film Festival this month. The film also took home the Ecumenical Prize. There were no awards for critics' fave Matias Pineiro and his film Hermia & Helena, with other main awards going to directors Radu Jude and Joao Pedro Rodrigues. Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel's Mister Universo was a top pick for many juries, claiming four mentions. And Cannes Palme d'Or winner I, Daniel Blake won the audience award. Congratulations to all the winners! Check out the films that competed at this link, and the films that succeeded below:
Concorso Internazionale
Golden Leopard
Godless (Ralitza Petrova)
Special Jury Prize
Scarred Hearts (Radu Jude)
Special Mention
Mister Universo (Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel)
Leopard for Best Direction
Joao Pedro Rodrigues (The Ornithologist)
Leopard for Best Actor
Andrzej Seweryn (The Last Family)
Leopard for Best Actress
Irena Ivanova (Godless)
Awards from seven other sections of the festival after the cut.
