The film emerged victorious in a lineup of 17 features, including new works by Hong Sangsoo, Denis Côté, Ann Oren and Nelson Yeo.

It was awarded by jury headed by Belgian filmmaker Fabrice Du Welz, with actors Paulina Garcia and Lolita Chammah, producer Marco Alessi and Arte France Cinéma executive director Olivier Père.

Queer Erotic Thriller

Brazilian directors Matheus Farias and Enock Carvalho won the Special Jury Prize for their queer erotic thriller “The Riverbank,” which traces the bond between a cleaner and a fisherman on the mangrove-strewn fringes of Recife. Canadian actor Xavier Bergeron also landed a special mention for his performance in Côté’s “Nobody’s Violence.”

Transgender

Overlooked by the jury, however, was festival buzz title I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming, a striking portrait of a transgender marriage amid the upheaval of  war in Ukraine from German director Isabelle Stever; it will have its US premiere at the New York Film Festival next month.

Argentine-American photographer Alessandra Sanguinetti’s directorial debut The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer was the big winner, taking top prize in the festival’s secondary Filmmakers of the Present competition, as well as the separately juried award for Best First Feature.

A documentary filmed over the course of 25 years, “Summer” follows two closely bonded female cousins in Argentina’s rural Pampas region from childhood to womanhood, and was one of the festival’s word-of-mouth critical sensations; it will be distributed by Mubi in North America and the U.K. Another freshman helmer, British artist Beatrice Gibson, was named Best Emerging Director by the Filmmakers of the Present jury for her BBC-backed hybrid doc “At Night.”

The 79th Locarno Film Festival closed with gala screening of French director Marc Fitoussi’s meta film-industry comedy All About Corinne, starring Isabelle Huppert and Sandrine Kiberlain.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Golden Leopard for Best Film: “You Don’t Belong Here,” Florin Șerban
Special Jury Prize: “The Riverbank,” Matheus Farias, Enock Carvalho
Best Direction: Hong Sangsoo, “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes”
Best Performance: Kim Minhee, “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes”; Monica Bellucci, “Ketticè”
Special Mention for Performance: Xavier Bergeron, “Nobody’s Violence”; Teodor Butănescu, “You Don’t Belong Here”

FILMMAKERS OF PRESENT COMPETITION

Golden Leopard for Best Film: “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer,” Alessandra Sanguinetti
Best Emerging Director Award: Beatrice Gibson, “At Night”
Special Jury Prize: “Revolutionaries Never Die,” Mohanad Yaqubi
Best Performance: Idrissu Tontie Jr., “Our Time Will Come”; Manal Issa, “Summer Meadow”
Special Mention: “The Days Off,” Lucila Mariani; “Hanabi,” Ana Vaz

FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION

First Feature Award: “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer,” Alessandra Sanguinetti

LEOPARD OF TOMORROW COMPETITION

Best Auteur Short Film: “The Bovine Comedy,” Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
Special Mention: “And If Thuy Didn’t Exist,” Carlo Francisco Manatad

Best International Short Film: “Melk,” Filip Anthonissen
Pardino d’Argento for the International Competition: “Khufu,” Mahmoud Assi
Best Direction for the International Competition: “Mutrion,”Marco Cavazzin
Locarno Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards: “Melk,” Filip Anthonissen
Special Mention: “Las Damas,” Camille Zéhenne

Best Swiss Short Film: “Typhoon Mambo,” Domenico Singha Pedroli
Pardino d’Argento for the National Competition: “Take Care,” Patricia Strübin
Best Swiss Newcomer Award: “Respirer une fois sur trois,” Charlyne Genoud

LOCARNO KIDS COMPETITION

Locarno Kids Award: “Paradeisa,” Marleen Valien

PARDO FOR CHANGE COMPETITION

Pardo for Change Award: “Our Time Will Come,” Amartei Armar
Special Mention (Feature Film): “The Newcomers,” Rodrigo Plá, Mexico/Spain
Special Mention (Short Film): “Private Property,” Deepak Rauniyar

INDEPENDENT JURIES AND AWARDS

Ecumenical Jury Award: “Nowhere to Lay My Eyes,” Hong Sangsoo
FIPRESCI Prize: “Far From the Trees,” Meritxell Colell Aparicio
Europa Cinemas Label: “You Don’t Belong Here,” Florin Șerban

JUNIOR JURY AWARDS

First Prize: “You Don’t Belong Here,” Florin Șerban
Second Prize: “Nobody’s Violence,” Denis Côté
Third Prize: “Manhunt,” Wayne Wapeemukwa
“The Environment is Quality of Life” Prize: “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming,” Isabelle Stever
Special Mention: “D’ici là,” Sarah Leonor
First Prize (Filmmakers of the Present): “Tear Gas,” Uta Beria
Special Mention: “The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer,” Alessandra Sanguinetti
Leopard of Tomorrow (International Competition): “Forgotten Spaceman,” Elham Ehsas
Special Mention: “First Fire,” Blanca Camell Galí
Leopard of Tomorrow (National Competition): “Respirer une fois sur trois,” Charlyne Genoud
Leopard of Tomorrow (Auteur Competition): “Āsheghetam,” Filmsaazs
Special Mention: “The Bovine Comedy,” Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
“The Environment is Quality of Life” Prize: “Concrete Moves,” Fagamou Fama Ndiaye

Critcs Week Awards

Marco Zucchi Award: “Only the Serpent Knows,” Olivier Séror, Martin Verdet