[Baar / Locarno | 03 AUG 2023] – This year Campari, the popular red aperitif from Milan, is the official partner for the fourth year in a row as the famous Locarno Film Festival is held on the Piazza Grande for the 76th time. This year's program provides an opportunity to discuss the history and future of cinema as well as other forms of art and communication.
With the Excellence Award Davide Campari, Campari and the Locarno Film Festival pay tribute to unique talents who have shaped and continue to shape contemporary cinema, as well as recognising exceptional achievements. This year’s award was presented to British actor Riz Ahmed, who won an Oscar in 2022 for the short film “The Long Goodbye”. Riz Ahmed follows in the footsteps of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who received the award last year.
Due to the current SAG-AFTRA strike, Riz Ahmed was not personally present in Locarno. Both the Locarno Film Festival and Campari Group support the rights of professionals in the industry and trust in a constructive exchange between the parties involved.
For Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, Riz Ahmed’s talent is truly exceptional in today’s cinema. “Ahmed’s mutability allows him to move between blockbusters and auteur cinema. Whether on stage, in television productions, as a rapper or as a producer – Ahmed feels comfortable in all roles. He has won several awards, including an Academy Award, and embodies a cinema that is more open and finally ready to listen to new voices. Riz Ahmed is the face of a future that is finally within reach.”
Campari accompanies visitors throughout the Festival
Once again this year, visitors can enjoy a refreshing Italian aperitif in the Davide Campari Lounge throughout the duration of the Festival. During the first week of the Festival, these are being served by bartenders from the Camparino in Galleria. The historic Milanese bar in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is an icon of the bar world and a real trademark of this aperitif brand. It was opened in 1915 by Davide Campari and its presence in Locarno shows the strong connection to both Milan, Campari’s birthplace, and the artistic and cultural context of the 20th century. The team around Tommaso Cecca, head bartender at the Camparino in Galleria, are serving guests a selection of the most legendary Campari cocktails. For the 76th edition of the Film Festival, Campari has created the Locarno edition of the “Campari Red Carpet Cocktail”. The cocktail, a harmonious combination of Campari with Espolòn Tequila Blanco, Cinzano Vermouth Bianco, sherry, salt syrup and bitter orange, is rounded off with essence of spruce and garnished with orange zest. The spruce notes are reminiscent of the vast Swiss forests, while Campari, with its bitter taste and unique red colour, is a nod to the red carpet.
The Davide Campari Lounge is also the venue for various other festival events between 2 and 12 August, such as round tables, interviews, panel discussions and after-show parties. But during these ten days, visitors to the Locarno Film Festival have lots more to enjoy besides the red aperitif in the Davide Campari Lounge. Around the Piazza Grande, Campari has a presence in a total of 18 bars and restaurants and offers guests captivating experiences such as “Campari Red Nights”, where they become actively involved while enjoying well-known Campari cocktails such as the Negroni or Campari Spritz. One definite eye-catcher is the Campari three-liter Cinema Limited Edition bottle, with its resplendent new design.
In 2023, just like last year, Campari organised the legendary opening party on the evening of the awards ceremony in the historic Villa San Quirico on the shores of Lake Maggiore. Built in the 1930s, the villa is surrounded by a generous garden and bursting with Mediterranean charm. The 600 guests were served Campari cocktails at three different bars. The highlight of the evening was an "Exhibition Performance Show", an interactive dance performance in which guests were artistically introduced to the connection between Campari and cinema as well as a “Caleidoscope Experience”, an immersive installation featuring kaleidoscopic patterns where guests saw the world through different eyes.
Campari and the film world
Davide Campari’s vision – to position and continuously promote art and culture at the heart of the Campari brand – lives on to this day. In 1984, for example, Campari collaborated with film maestro Federico Fellini on a unique advertisement with the theme “Oh, che bel paesaggio!”, in which reality meets fantasy in an artistic way. The success story has continued more recently with a series of short films starring acting and directing legends such as Paolo Sorrentino, Clive Owen, Zoe Saldana, Ana de Armas and many others. Today, Campari’s long-standing commitment to film and cinema is evident in partnerships with the world’s most famous film festivals, such as Cannes, Venice and Locarno. This way, Campari supports both young, up-and-coming talents and big-name film-makers in their creativity and passion for film.
Find out more on Campari’s social media channels.
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