Emma Thompson to Receive Leopard Club Award at Locarno78

June 3, 2025

The iconic British actress will be honoured on August 8, 2025, with the Leopard Club Award, followed by the world premiere of The Dead of Winter on Piazza Grande.

The Locarno Film Festival 2025 will honour Emma Thompson with its prestigious Leopard Club Award on the night of Friday, August 8. The British actress will receive the accolade during a ceremony on Piazza Grande, followed by the world premiere of her latest film, The Dead of Winter, directed by Brian Kirk and produced by Stampede Ventures and augenschein.

Thompson, who also serves as executive producer on the film, will attend the event in person.

A Career of Bold Choices and Enduring Legacy

A towering figure in contemporary cinema, Emma Thompson has inspired generations of audiences and artists alike. From Howards End and Sense and Sensibility to Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, and Good Luck to You, Cruella, Thompson’s performances have consistently pushed boundaries and explored the human condition with warmth, wit, and intelligence.

She remains the only person to have won Academy Awards for both acting and screenwriting.

Giona A. Nazzaro on Thompson’s Legacy

“Emma Thompson embodies the best of a tradition of performers who continue to infuse each role with deep insight into the craft,” said Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the festival. “Honoring a performer as brilliant and multifaceted as Emma Thompson with the Leopard Club Award is due recognition of an artist who has moved us, challenged us, entertained us — and above all, never stopped surprising us.”

What Is the Leopard Club Award?

The Leopard Club Award is presented annually by the Leopard Club, the official support association of the Locarno Film Festival. It honours a cinema personality whose work has made a lasting impact on the collective imagination.

Past recipients include Faye Dunaway, Mia Farrow, Adrien Brody, Hilary Swank, Meg Ryan, Kasia Smutniak, and Daisy Edgar-Jones.

The 78th Locarno Film Festival takes place August 6–16, 2025.

Written by: Federica Scarpa

Emma Thompson