Leopard Club: Behind the Scenes of Locarno’s Private Circle

In Locarno, there are two festivals. The first is the one everyone knows: thousands of spectators taking their seats in the Piazza Grande at dusk, films screened under the stars, photographers gathered along the red carpet, and stars arriving to receive a Pardo. The second is more discreet. It often begins when the screenings end and doors open onto spaces inaccessible to the general public. This is the world of the Leopard Club.

Founded in 2008 at the initiative of Swiss businessman Rolando Benedick, the club was created as a supporting association for the Locarno Film Festival. Its primary purpose was therefore not to establish a simple social circle, but to bring together donors capable of providing the Festival with long-term financial support. In Locarno, money and glamour are never far apart.

During the Festival, the Leopard Club organizes its traditional gala evening as well as an event reserved for its members. These gatherings bring together actors, producers and directors from the film industry, business leaders, political representatives and influential figures from the cultural world.

For years, the image of these evenings was that of a small Hollywood on the shores of the lake. In 2013, the press described a Leopard Club reception at the Eden Roc Hotel in Ascona in these terms: champagne on arrival, photographers, a red carpet and, beyond a restricted area, a “Members only” space where guests could finally meet away from the cameras.

It would nevertheless be reductive to portray the Leopard Club simply as a VIP inner circle. Its raison d’être is above all financial. The club’s regulations stipulate that funds raised from its members and third parties, after covering the expenses necessary for its own operations, are used to support the Festival. The club also seeks to raise awareness of the Festival’s importance among political, economic and business circles, both in Switzerland and abroad.

The formula has gradually found its audience. In 2023, the club had around 80 members and organized, among other events, a “Members Only” evening and a gala. The Festival’s annual report highlighted the club’s role in connecting its members with personalities invited to Locarno.

The Leopard Club also has its own trophy: the Leopard Club Award.

Each year, it honours a figure from the world of cinema whose work has left a lasting mark on the collective imagination. Over time, the award has become a regular feature of Locarno’s star-studded programme.

The list alone tells a story of popular and international cinema: Mia Farrow, Andy García, Stefania Sandrelli, Adrien Brody, Meg Ryan, Hilary Swank, Kasia Smutniak, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Irène Jacob have all been among its recipients.

The choice of laureates is therefore far from incidental. It forms part of the club’s image strategy: associating its name with acclaimed artists while giving the Festival additional opportunities to attract high-profile individuals.

In its early years, the club’s image was closely associated with exclusive receptions, luxury hotels and dinners bringing together figures from cinema, politics and business. Today, its activities are more deeply integrated into the Festival’s ecosystem.

For the most important donors, the programme goes well beyond dinner. The club’s documentation provides for VIP access, restaurant reservations, privileged access to the Piazza Grande, reserved seats and concierge services. Donors may also receive assistance in securing certain forms of behind-the-scenes access to the Festival.

In recent years, however, the Leopard Club has sought to become more than a place where members gather during the Festival’s eleven-day run. This shift is particularly visible in 2026 with the launch of “Interlude”, a series of events and screenings taking place throughout the year. The programme aims to extend the relationship between members, the Festival and the public beyond the month of August.

This transformation also reflects changes within the Festival itself. Under artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, Locarno continues to cultivate a balance between independent cinema, new discoveries and the presence of major stars. In 2026, for its 79th edition, the Festival is welcoming, among others, Isabella Rossellini, Isabelle Huppert, Asia Argento and Monica Bellucci.

The Leopard Club is therefore less a parallel world to the Festival than one of its essential backdrops. It is a place where relationships, perhaps more than films, are forged and negotiated — where people come not only to see who is on screen, but also who is sitting around the table.