Swiss producer Michel Merkt will receive the 2017 The Best Independent Producer Award “Raimondo Rezzonico” at the Locarno Film Festival.

Proof of Michel Merkt’s instincts was offered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, which screened no less than 8 feature films in which he was involved, including: Elle by Paul Verhoeven, twofold César winner in 2017 for Best Film and for Isabelle Huppert as Best Female Lead, as well as an Academy Awards 2017 nomination for Best Actress; the Franco-Swiss cartoon Ma vie de Courgette by Claude Barras from Sion (Canton Valais), co-produced with Pauline Gygax’s and Max Karli’s production company Rita, another recent Oscar nominee and winner of a César for Best Animated Film; and Juste la fin du monde, directed by Xavier Dolan, winner of the Jury Grand Prix and Ecumenical Jury Prize at Cannes 2016, with an impressive line-up of stars such as Nathalie Baye, Vincent Cassel, Marion Cotillard and Léa Seydoux. He also collaborated with director Walter Hill, to produce The Assignment, starring Sigourney Weaver and Michelle Rodriguez.

The 70th Locarno Festival will be held from August 2 to 12, 2017.