Belgian-born actor Virginie Efira received the Leopard Club Award at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, recognising her career and work across several films. In an emotional speech in Piazza Grande, she praised Locarno’s confidence in audiences and its support for innovative, emerging cinema, arguing that film depends on collaboration between actors, directors and viewers.

Efira said the honour felt distinct from previous prizes because it recognised a body of work rather than a single performance. She thanked directors including Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Justine Triet, Rebecca Zlotowski and Valérie Donzelli, and was due to present Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden, for which she shared Cannes’ best actress award with Tao Okamoto after learning some Japanese for the role.