Miscellaneous Locarno Film Festival: Maja Hoffmann brings a breath of fresh air
Maja Hoffmann, the new president of the Locarno Film Festival, is bringing a breath of fresh air to the festival management ahead of the first edition under her aegis. Since taking office, she has been working on a new management style that focuses more on the collective.
04.08.2024, 10:00
SDA
Hoffmann first attended the Locarno Film Festival at the age of 22. Years later, she succeeds Marco Solari, who had presided over the festival for over 20 years. For a long time, she had resisted the presidency, Hoffmann said in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency in Zurich. For various reasons, she could not compare herself with Solari.
Her presidency will differ from that of her predecessor in that she will rely heavily on the team and on the presence of Vice-President Luigi Pedrazzini on the ground in Ticino.
Following her election by the General Assembly in August last year, there were fears in Ticino that Hoffmann would not often be in Locarno, as the 68-year-old art collector and Roche heiress has numerous commitments between Basel, Zurich and Arles (F). Pedrazzini will compensate for her partial absence, she said.
Relevant festival
From an organizational point of view, it is crucial for her in the first year that she can restructure the activities and try to give the festival the best opportunities for future development. At the same time, the festival must remain relevant to the current times.
"I don't deny that my interests lie more in the artistic and cultural field than in fundraising or political positioning," explained Hoffmann. However, the team complements each other well on these issues and it is a collective task.
It is moving from a vertical to a somewhat more transversal structure in management. This type of structure has proven its worth over the years at her private Luma Foundation in Arles. There, it has been shown that strength comes from local anchoring. The aim is to extend this logic to a broader level.
No rigid vision
"So I come with little ego, but with a deep desire to move things forward and continue the mission of the festival, which I think is already very well defined," said Hoffmann. She was opposed to finding many new sponsors who would bring their own projects to the festival. She wants to concentrate on the core activities first.
Instead of a rigid vision, Hoffmann prefers an open mind. "We need to maintain the trust of those who support us and attract new people to pave the way in the future. We must try to analyze what is happening in the world and not insist on positions that are too rigid."
If the festival wants to attract filmmakers who are at the heart of the program, it has to be open, otherwise they won't come. The internationally networked Hoffmann sees herself as a positive element in this mission.
Plea for culture
"I like the fact that this festival is independent, that there is a free selection, but also that you can discuss and collect ideas as they arise," explained the Basel native.
Hoffmann sees the challenges for cinema, culture and society as a whole in the acceleration and awareness of everything that is happening in the world. At the same time, it is important to be optimistic and take advantage of the freedom to act.
The challenges facing film can only be overcome in conjunction with other cultural disciplines. The first step is to support culture. Because culture is the tool for problem-solving and further development.
