Acclaimed American filmmaker Alexander Payne will be honored with the prestigious Leopard Award (Pardo d'Onore) at the 78th Locarno Film Festival, scheduled for the night of August 15. As reported by Variety, Payne will also showcase two of his celebrated films — The Descendants (2011) and Nebraska (2013) — and engage in a public discussion with festival attendees.

In their announcement, the Locarno Film Festival praised Payne as “the distinctive voice behind a slate of dryly funny modern classics,” noting his significant impact on 21st-century American cinema. According to the festival’s official website, Payne's films have earned multiple accolades, including three Academy Awards, three BAFTAs, and eight Golden Globes. His filmography includes critically acclaimed works such as Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), Nebraska (2013), and The Holdovers (2023).

Born in Nebraska in 1961, Payne studied filmmaking at UCLA. He gained early recognition with Citizen Ruth (1996), a politically charged comedy starring Laura Dern, which premiered at Sundance. The Leopard Award (Pardo d’Onore), introduced in 2017, honors outstanding contributions to world cinema. The 78th Locarno Film Festival will run from August 6 to August 16.