Premiere in Locarno: «The Deal» as first Swiss series on the Piazza Grande

From 6 to 16 August, Locarno will again he Locarno Film Festival is bringing international flair to the city for the 78th time – with more than 220 national and international productions, including 23 SRG co-productions in eight different categories. Highlights include the drama «Don’t Let the Sun» (SRF, 2025) and the impressive documentary «Flying Scents – of Plants and People» (SRF/SRG, 2025), which both celebrate their world premiere in Locarno. In the international competition, two SRG co-productions are also competing for the Golden Leopard: «Le Lac» (RTS, 2025) and «Le Bambine» (RSI, 2025). The series on the Iranian nuclear programme, «The Deal» (RTS, 2025), is also celebrating a special kind of premiere: it will be the first ever Swiss series to be shown on the big screen on the Piazza Grande.

SRG as media partner of the Locarno Film Festival

As media partner of the Locarno Film Festival, SRG offers Swiss film-makers the opportunity to present their work to an international (specialist) public. This partnership provides visibility for local film-makers at one of Europe’s most renowned festivals. In particular, the Notte Svizzera, which is solely dedicated to Swiss film and strengthens dialogue between cultural policy and the film industry, offers a stage for local film-making here. The event is held on the first Saturday evening of the festival and is organised by SRG and the Locarno Film Festival together with other funding institutions.

As part of the Pardi di Domani competition for short and medium-length films, SRG also awards the «Pardino d’Oro SRG SSR per il miglior cortometraggio svizzero» and «Pardino d’Argento SRG SSR per il Concorso Nazionale» prizes, worth CHF 10,000 and CHF 5,000, respectively. SRG also contributes the «Grand Prix Semaine de la Critique/Prix SRG SSR» prize worth CHF 5,000. This prize is awarded by the Swiss Association of Film Journalists in collaboration with the director and organisers of the Locarno Film Festival.

Play Suisse supports creative exchange at BaseCamp

BaseCamp is opening its doors for the sixth time during the Locarno Film Festival and is a vibrant meeting place for young artists and film-makers from around the world. With SRG and its streaming platform Play Suisse as creative partner, the Istituto Sant’Eugenio – located just a few minutes from the Piazza Grande – becomes a space to meet and for artistic collaboration and experimental creation. The partnership provides SRG with the opportunity to make contact with up-and-coming young film-makers and promote Play Suisse to a young, film-savvy target group. During the festival, the school becomes a centre for around 200 participants from the fields of film, photography, music and design. People produce, exhibit and perform together here, and the focus is on the film-making of tomorrow. 

As a special highlight, the Play Suisse Night takes place on 8 August from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. With music, aperitivi and pizza, BaseCamp will be transformed on this evening into a welcoming spot to meet, celebrate and exchange ideas.

The Locarno Film Festival on Play Suisse

During the Locarno Film Festival, Play Suisse is making a special collection available. From 6 August, several films from previous editions of the festival can be rediscovered on the SRG streaming platform. The highlights include the film «Ricardo and Painting» from director Barbet Schroeder, which received the Honorary Award at the Swiss Film Awards in 2025.