Maja Hoffmann becomes President of the Locarno Film Festival
The first woman to serve on the executive board of the Locarno Film Festival. On Monday morning, the board of directors confirmed Maja Hoffmann, founder of the Luma Foundation, as the festival’s next president. She succeeds Marco Solari.
The search committee, consisting of Edna Epelbaum and Francesco Lurati and coordinated by Mario Timbal, had previously evaluated various possible candidates, according to a statement. The committee proposed the candidacy of Maja Hoffmann to the Board of Directors, which unanimously confirmed her candidacy, marking the first time a woman will serve as president of the Locarno Film Festival. Outgoing president Marco Solari will accompany Hoffmann during a transition period that will begin after the festival's 76th edition in August.
"After spending many years elaborating and producing numerous projects in Switzerland and abroad, I am now delighted to contribute my experience and knowledge to the future of this prestigious festival and to contribute to the development of culture in Switzerland," said Maja Hoffmann. "Locarno has always had a strong identity. This is a fundamental requirement for strengthening the Festival's positioning on an international level."
Born in 1956, Hoffmann founded the Luma Foundation almost 20 years ago and works with numerous international institutions: She is president of the Swiss Institute New York in the USA and the Vincent van Gogh Arles Foundation in France. She is also Vice President of the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation Collection in Basel, a board member of the Serpentine Gallery in London, the Kunsthalle Zürich, the New Museum and the Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, both located in New York, and a member of Human Rights Watch.
On September 20, 2023, the Extraordinary General Meeting will vote on the new Statutes of the Festival. These provide for a reduction of the Board of Directors from 27 to 7 members and the establishment of two Advisory Boards. The Policy Advisory Board on the one hand and the Industry Advisory Board on the other hand are to support the Board of Directors with their specific competences in strategic decisions.
The 76th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 2 to 12 under the direction of its current president Marco Solari.
