12th Locarno Film Festival
 Festival official poster | |
| Location | Locarno, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Festival date | Opening: 9 July 1959 Closing: 19 July 1959 |
| Website | Locarno Film Festival |
The 12th Locarno Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 July 1959 in Locarno, Switzerland.[1] The International Critics Awards for best picture, later called the FIPRESCI award, was awarded to Al Capone directed by Richard Wilson.[2][3] Ernest Borgnine won the best actor award for his performance in The Rabbit Trap by the international jury.[3][4] After the Swiss government allow the festival to ask for film through diplomatic channels, the festival achieved an A-ranking under the FIAPF this year. As a result, the festival could feature a approved competition and prizes.[5]
Official Sections
The following films were screened in these sections:[6]
Main Program
Main Program / Feature Films In Competition
| Original Title | English Title | Director(s) | Year | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Capone | Richard Wilson | 1959 | USA | |
| Araya | Margot Bénacerraf | 1959 | Venezuela, France | |
| Crni Biseri | Black Pearls | Tomo Janis | 1958 | Yugoslavia |
| I Soliti Ignoti | Big Deal on Madonna Street | Mario Monicelli | 1958 | Italy |
| Kapitanskaia Dotschka | The Captain's Daughter | Vladimir Kaplounovsky | 1959 | Russia |
| Killer's Kiss | Stanley Kubrick | 1955 | USA | |
| L'Ambitieuse | The Ambitious | Yves Allégret | 1959 | France, Australia |
| Les Dragueurs | Dredgers | Jean-Pierre Mocky | 1959 | France |
| Les Quatre Du Moana | The Four of Moana | Bernard Gorsky, Pierre Pasquier | 1959 | France |
| Linje Sex | Line Six | Bengt Blomgren | 1958 | Sudan |
| Mogli Pericolose | Dangerous Wives | Luigi Comencini | 1958 | Italy |
| Moi, Un Noir | I, a Negro | Jean Rouch | 1958 | France |
| Next To No Time | Henry Cornelius | 1958 | Great Britain | |
| Ovecoch Nadprirozonych | Ohoch Nadprrosonych | Jiri Krejcik, Milos Makovec | 1958 | Czech Republic |
| Pozegnania | Farewells | Wojciek J. Has | 1958 | Poland |
| The Rabbit Trap | Philip Leacock | 1959 | USA | |
| Un Vaso De Whisky | A Glass of Whiskey | Julio Coll | 1958 | Spain |
| Unruhige Nacht | Restless Night | Flak Harnack | 1958 | Germany |
| Warlock | Edward Dmytryk | 1959 | USA | |
Main Program / Short Films In Competition
| Original Title | English Title | Director(s) | Year | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Monguzok Szigeten | On the Monguzok Island | Agoston Kollang | Hungary | |
| A Tale Of A Dog | David Tendlar | USA | ||
| A.B.C. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao | John Fernout | Netherlands | ||
| Bapu-Ka-Dalidan | Ananda Kumar | India | ||
| Clobber'S Ballet Ache | Connie Rasinsky | USA | ||
| Das Knalleidoskop | The Bang Oscop | Herbert Hunger | Germany | |
| Daumier | Roger Leenhardt, Henri Sarrade | France | ||
| De Brosses A Roma | From Brushes to Roma | Massimo Mida | Italy | |
| Det Nya Ansiktet | The New Face | Alex Jute | Sudan | |
| Geiranger | Carsten Monch | Norway | ||
| Geometrie, Sprache Der Formen | Geometry, Language of Shapes | Dieter Schönbach | Germany | |
| Highway | Hillary Harris | USA | ||
| Janela Aberta | Open Window | Armando Silva Brandao | Portugal | |
| Jean-Jacques Rousseau | Roger Leenhardt, Jean-Pierre Viret | France | ||
| Krafttag | Power | Alex Jute | Sudan | |
| L'Armee De Pierre | Stone Army | Theo van Hare Norman | Netherlands | |
| L'Arte D'Ingannare I Posteri | The D’ Endnary Artes the Posters | Renzo Renzi | Italy | |
| La Mer Et Les Jours | The Sea and the Days | Alain Kamiker, Raymondl Voge | France | |
| La Vita Semplice | Simple Life | Nelo Risi | Italy | |
| Le Peuple Assassine | The Murderous People | Jacques Rial | Switzerland | |
| Lui Et Elle | Her and Her | Jean Jabely | France | |
| Lumiere De Fete | Girls' Worlds | François Bardet, Jean-Louis Roy | Switzerland | |
| Model Toshshinka | Model Toshinda | Masaya Nakamura | Japan | |
| Ondraszek | Semondras | Waclaw Kondek | Poland | |
| Pajacyk I Pikus | Pajacyk and Pikus | Wladislaw Nehrebecki | Poland | |
| Pierres Vives | Live Stones | John Ford | Canada | |
| Railroaders | Guy Côté | Canada | ||
| Sidney Family Tree | Art Bartsch | USA | ||
| Signed, Sealed And Clobbered | Connie Rasinsky | USA | ||
| Street To The World | Louis-Georges Carrier | Canada | ||
| The Fabulous Firework Family | Al Kouzel | USA | ||
| Tragedie Vodnikova | Josef Kabrt | Czech Republic | ||
| Tscherez Porogui Jenissey | Through the Thresholds of the Yenisei | E. Legat | Russia | |
| Uzel | Node | Hermína Týrlová | Czech Republic | |
Special Sections - Films For Children
| Films For Children - Program 1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Title | English Title | Director(s) | Year | Production Country |
| Der Wolf Und Diesieben Jungen Geisslein | The Wolf and the Seven Young Geisslein | Peter Podehl | 1957 | Germany |
| La Foret Est Un Tresor | The Forest is a Treasure | Roger Blais | 1959 | Canada |
| Le Poney | The Pony | Lawrence Cherry | Canada | |
| Liska A Dzaban | Joja | Stanislav Latal, Jiri Zrnka | 1947 | Czech Republic |
| Liska A Vlk | Liska and Wolf | Eduard Hofmann | 1956 | Czech Republic |
| Films For Children - Program 2 | ||||
| Jour De Juin | June | Louis Partugais | 1958 | Canada |
| Kalamajka | Hermína Týrlová | 1957 | Czech Republic | |
| L'Ile Aux Oiseaux | Ile Aux Oiseaux | Marc de Gastyne | France | |
| L'Ile Du Saint Laurent | The Island of Saint Laurent | Raymond Garceau | 1956 | Canada |
| Rubezahl, Herr Der Berge | Rube Number, Lord of the Mountains | Erich Kobler | 1957 | Germany |
| Ti-Jean Au Pays Du Fer | Ti-Jean in the Land Country | Raymond Garceau | Canada | |
Retrospective
| Retrospective Ingmar Bergman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original Title | English Title | Director(s) | Year | Production Country |
| Fängelse | Prison | Ingmar Bergman | Sweden | |
| Gyklarnas Afton | The Fun Evening | Ingmar Bergman | 1953 | Sweden |
| Hets | Torment | Alf Sjöberg | 1944 | Sudan |
| Kninnodröm | Ingmar Bergman | 1954 | Sweden | |
| Kvinna Utan Ansikte | Woman without Face | Gustav Molander | 1944 | Sudan |
| Musik I Mörker | Music in Darkness | Ingmar Bergman | 1947 | Sweden |
| Näre Livet | When Life | Ingmar Bergman | 1957 | Sweden |
| Sommeren Med Monika | The Summer with Monika | Ingmar Bergman | 1952 | Sweden |
| Sommernattens Leende | Summer Night's Smile | Ingmar Bergman | 1955 | Sweden |
Official Awards
International Jury, feature films
- Award for the best direction: Stanley Kubrick for the film KILLER’S KISS
- Special Mention: OVECOCH NADPRIROZONYCH by Jiri Krejcik
- Best Actor: Ernest Borgnine in THE RABBIT TRAP
- Most spectacular: KAPITANSKAIA DOTSCHKA by Vladimir Kaplounovsky
- Funniest Film: I SOLITI IGNOTI by Mario Monicelli
- Best documentary: MOI, UN NOIR by Jean Rouch
International Jury, Short films
- Honor Mention, Short Films: JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU by Jean-Pierre Viret and Roger Leenhardt, DAUMIER by Henri Sarrade and Roger Leenhardt
- Best animation film, short films: LUI ET ELLE by Jean Jabely
- Mention, Short Films: GEOMETRIE, SPRACHE DER FORMEN by Dieter Schönbach
- Best techniques, short films: UZEL by Hermina Tyrlova
- Best Documentary, Short Films: LA MER ET LES JOURS by Raymondi Voge
FIPRESCI Jury
- FIPRESCI Mention: POZEGNANIA by Wojciek J. Has
- FIPRESCI Jury: AL CAPONE by Richard Wilson
References
- ^ "INTERNATIONAL FILMS: 1959's 13 film festivals". Variety. Vol. 214, no. 7. Los Angeles. 15 April 1959. p. 27. ProQuest 964053986.
- ^ "'Capone' wins laurels at locarno film fest. (1959)". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 156, no. 4. 24 July 1959. p. 3.
- ^ a b c "1959 Locarno Film Festival". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ "Broidy and Wilder in production deal". Los Angeles Times. 3 September 1959. p. 24. ProQuest 167535589.
- ^ Cordoba, Cyril (22 December 2022). "Between Politics and Economics: The Locarno Film Festival from Tourism to Cinephilia (1946-1972)". Cinergie – Il Cinema e le altre Arti (22): 41–53. doi:10.6092/issn.2280-9481/14350. ISSN 2280-9481.
- ^ "Locarno Film Festival · All the films of the Locarno Film Festival..." Locarno Film Festival. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ "The Festival - Palmarès". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 15 April 2025.