An Italian film, whose cast features Monica Bellucci and whose list of producers includes Luca Guadagnino, took the spotlight at the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on Saturday. Its title: Ketticè. The coming-of-age drama is the sophomore feature of former Guadagnino assistant Giovanni Tortorici (Diciannove), who wrote and directed it, and stars Salvatore Gallina and Rachele Testagrossa. Set in Palermo, Sicily, in 2012, the era of media mogul-turned-populist politician Silvio Berlusconi, the movie revolves around Giulio, a listless and dissatisfied 16-year-old who drifts through his days without any enthusiasm for school and no real future prospects. “His encounter with Ketty, a more self-assured peer, offers him an escape from the monotony,” reads a synopsis. “The two form an exclusive friendship, a shared refuge in their search for freedom, far from the judgmental gaze of the adult world.” With cinematography by Camilla Cattabriga and editing by Marco Costa, the film has been boarded by PiperPlay to handle international sales. The film’s title refers to Ketty’s nickname in the Sicilian dialect. Bellucci plays Giulio’s mother in an aristocratic Sicilian …

Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña, the Chilean filmmakers who have made a name for themselves with The Wolf House and The Hyperboreans, as well as collaborators of Ari Aster, will world premiere their third feature film, Donkey Princess (Princesa Burro), in the international competition program of the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival on Friday, Aug. 7. As was the case with their first two feature films, their new movie is an ambitious cinematic ride. And it comes in the form of an envelope-pushing fairy tale. The Donkey Princess focuses on Diana, the princess of an ancient kingdom, whose father, King Arthur, has forbidden love. That is why, when Diana falls in love with Lalo, the King simply banishes him. “Using a magical bracelet, Diana travels to other worlds in search of her love,” explains a synopsis. “Discovering that her father manipulates her decisions, she must face her fears and change her destiny.” The travels that Diana embarks on allow León and Cociña to use the places she visits as a way to explore different film periods and …