Isabella Rossellini received the Excellence Award at the Locarno Film Festival, an honour she noted her father Roberto Rossellini won in 1948 for "Germany, Year Zero" and her brother Renzo received four years ago. During her masterclass at the festival, the actress discussed her career and her enduring fascination with animals, which she said became her "muses" after she began making her own low-tech films inspired by Georges Méliès's techniques.

Rossellini, who holds a master's degree in Animal Behaviour and Conservation, spoke about her web series "Green Porno" and "Seduce Me," both exploring animal mating rituals, and revealed she plays every role in her forthcoming film while hoping to focus more on directing. She reflected on her path from working as a costume designer on her father's films to modelling for Richard Avedon and acting, partly inspired by her mother Ingrid Bergman, and touched on political concerns in the US that have made her weigh whether to leave her farm and land behind.