Iranian Actress Golshifteh Farahani Honored with Excellence Award at Locarno Film Festival

Golshifteh Farahani, the acclaimed Iranian actress, is set to receive the prestigious Excellence Award Davide Campari at the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival. The award ceremony will take place on the opening evening of the festival on August 6th.

Farahani, born in Tehran in 1983, has established herself as one of the most influential voices in contemporary cinema. Her passion for acting emerged at an early age, leading to her breakthrough role in the 1998 film The Pear Tree, for which she won the best actress award at the Fajr International Film Festival. Since then, she has appeared in a remarkable array of films, both in Iran and internationally, including acclaimed works like Shirin (2008), About Elly (2009), Body of Lies (2008), Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014), and the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

In addition to receiving the Excellence Award, Farahani will also present her most recent film, Julia Ducournau's Alpha, which premiered in the competition at the Cannes Film Festival this year. She will also engage in a public conversation with the festival audience, allowing them to gain deeper insights into her captivating performances and artistic choices.

The Locarno Film Festival organizers have praised Farahani's charismatic and multifaceted performances, stating that she has been able to immerse herself in very different contexts and roles, guided by her extraordinary talent and generosity as an artist. The Excellence Award, supported by the festival's Signature Partner Campari, has previously been presented to renowned figures such as Susan Sarandon, John Malkovich, and Isabelle Huppert.