Isabella Rossellini to Receive Excellence Award at Locarno Film Festival

Isabella Rossellini will receive the Excellence Award at the upcoming Locarno Film Festival, celebrating her long-standing contribution to cinema, television, and fashion.

The award will be presented on August 5 during the opening night of the festival’s 79th edition, held on the iconic Piazza Grande in Locarno, Switzerland.

Rossellini, the daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini, built her career first as a model before becoming an internationally recognised film and television actor. She is widely known for her role as Dorothy Vallens in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986).

Over the decades, she has collaborated with acclaimed directors such as Robert Zemeckis and the Taviani brothers, building a reputation as one of contemporary cinema’s most distinctive performers.

More recently, she appeared in La Chimera (2023) by Alice Rohrwacher and Conclave (2024) by Edward Berger, a performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Beyond acting, Rossellini is also deeply involved in environmental and animal studies. She holds a Master’s degree in animal behaviour and conservation from Hunter College in New York and has created several short film projects, including the acclaimed series Green Porno (2008–2009), which humorously explores animal mating behaviours.

Festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro described her as a “visionary and incomparable performer” whose work has left a lasting impact on global cinema.

The 79th Locarno Film Festival will run from August 5 to 15, bringing international filmmakers, actors, and audiences together in Switzerland.