The Locarno Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Locarno, Switzerland, since its founding in 1946. It is considered one of the oldest and most renowned film festivals in Europe, alongside Venice and Cannes. A distinctive feature of the festival is the open-air screenings on the Piazza Grande, which can accommodate 8,000 spectators and features one of the largest open-air screens globally. The festival's highest honor is the Golden Leopard, awarded to the best film in the international competition, and it is known for discovering new cinematic trends and launching careers of directors and actors. Other awards include the Leopard of Honour for career achievement and the Prix du Public, a public choice award.