Since 2022, in collaboration with Zurich and Berlin-based's Cinegrell film lab, the Locarno Film Festival's Restoration Contest has been offering a complete restoration to a winning classic film, with restoration commencing shortly after the festival. The restored film then enjoys its premiere at the following edition of the Locarno Film Festival.
The Restoration Contest is open to feature films from around the world that premiered no later than 2010. Applicants must demonstrate that they are the rightful owners of the submitted films, which may require either partial or full restoration. A jury of three international industry professionals evaluated the applications submitted from all over the world and awarded Letter From My Village by Safi Faye.
The jury, composed of Bernardo Rondeau (Freelance Programmer), Nicole T. Allemann (Head of Film Restoration & Lab, Cinegrell) and Leon van Hee (EYE Film institute), state: “On the 50th anniversary of its release, we want to honor Letter From My Village, the groundbreaking debut by pioneering Senegalese filmmaker Safi Faye. Thanks to this restoration, this powerful and poetic first feature will now be rediscovered by new generations. With this choice we celebrate not only the film’s enduring relevance, but also the legacy of a woman who paved the way for African cinema.”
In 2024, the contest was won by the Italian film I cannibali (The Cannibals, 1969) by Liliana Cavani. The film is now under restoration by film lab Cinegrell and has been presented in August 2025 during Locarno78.
In 2023, the contest was won by the Brazilian film Mulher de Verdade by Alberto Cavalcanti (1954). The film was presented at Locarno77 and was available for streaming on our website in December 2024 and January 2025.
