Elevating the festival’s 78th edition with vibrant energy and a stunning limited-edition timepiece.
We are proud to once again serve as a main sponsor of the Locarno Film Festival, one of the world’s leading events in film, from 6 to 16 August 2025.
In support of auteur cinema, we will continue our tradition of presenting a talented filmmaker with the Swatch First Feature Award, valued at CHF 15,000. Awarded by an international jury, this honor recognizes the most striking debut, fostering creativity and innovation.
Drawing inspiration straight from the iconic festival poster created by Turner Prize-winning German artist Wolfgang Tillmans, LOCARNO78 is the limited-edition watch that captures the spirit of the iconic Pardo d’Oro and style of this year’s event. With the signature leopard motif on both its dial and strap, this unique watch mirrors the poster’s hypnotic swirl of holographic abstraction. The dial features a mesmerizing iridescent Solar Spectrum effect, complemented by printed spots for indexes, while a dedicated loop proudly highlights the festival's name.
During the event, we will welcome fans at the Swatch Pit Stop, a must-see installation designed like a gas station, a symbol of transitional moments in countless classic films. As with previous events, special Swatch vehicles will transport film fans from the Locarno train station and port to the event location, kickstarting the experience with fun right from the start.
At the Swatch Pit Stop which features a convenience-store-inspired booth, visitors can shop the exclusive event watch and stock up on essentials before the big screen magic begins. It is here that they can also marvel at the custom designed art products created by three former artists-in-residents of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel, our artist residency in Shanghai:
- The Cookie Box Handbag, created by Juan Pablo Chipe. A pop art-inspired hybrid of sculpture and fashion, this artwork is shaped like a cookie box with an egg carton base. Made from recycled materials, it blends utility with artistic expression.
- Hand-Colored, created by Lei Lei. Shaped like a bag of nuts, this artwork reinterprets the Beijing Silvermine collection, a vast archive of anonymous photographs documenting life in China from 1985 to 2005. Using the 1920s technique of hand-coloring black-and-white images, the artist transformed 50 negatives into 1,168 vibrant portraits, highlighting universal moments of everyday life.
- Party 5, created by Philip Ortelli. Building on his long-standing fascination with everyday objects and their cultural translations, the artist transforms soda cans in colorful art objects. The result is a playful yet thoughtful work that reflects on the aesthetics of domesticity, global consumer culture, and the gentle absurdity of daily life.
The Locarno Film Festival has always been a place where filmmakers and film fans come together to celebrate the art of storytelling at one of the world’s largest open-air cinema. As the curtain rises on another unforgettable edition, we are excited to contribute to its success and be a part of everything that makes cinema and this unique festival truly magical.
