Swatch official partner of the Festival Del Film Locarno 2015

A proud supporter of young talents across the broad spectrum of contemporary arts, Swatch has a new partnership with the 68th Festival del film Locarno (5 – 15 August). As Official Partner of the historic festival Swatch reinforces its commitment to supporting emerging talent in the creative arts: the Swiss watchmaker will award the “Swatch First Feature Award” to a young filmmaker. 

Commenting on the new partnership and award, Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek highlighted the significance of movies today: “Locarno is a very special place. You can feel here the passion for cinema and the movies. In the age of Internet, social media and smart devices, it is important to remind everybody that there is nothing stronger than sharing the emotions of a movie together with a thousand people, all watching one screen and not each one on his own on a personal device. The experience brings people together and creates real social cohesion.”     

The Swatch First Feature Award will go to an emerging filmmaker whose first feature film is shown at the Festival del film Locarno 2015. Additionally, the First Feature Jury will grant a Special Mention in the form of an invitation for a stay at the artists residence The Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai.

Marco Solari, President of the Festival del film Locarno, commented: “Swatch’s returning partnership is highly significant, and another prestigious recognition of the Locarno Festival. Their support of first films enables the Festival to further promote the work of young talent and at the same time testifies to Locarno’s importance as a site of discovery.”

In addition to the new awards, as Official Partner Swatch will support the Locarno Summer Academy. The Festival’s training program accepts applications from young people all over the world to participate in five different programs addressing diverse aspects of the business and art of making films.  

The new partnership and awards ramp up Swatch’s already significant commitment to young talent in the arts: Swatch is backing ITS 2015, dedicated to the discovery of creative young talent in fashion design, supports working artists in a broad range of disciplines with its renowned artist-in-residence program at The Swatch Art Peace Hotel, and offers substantial support for artists and the arts in its role as main partner of La Biennale Arte. 

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