Belgian-born actress Virginie Efira received the Leopard Club Award on the evening of Friday, August 7, 2026, at the 79th Locarno Film Festival, in the open-air setting of the Piazza Grande — the Swiss festival's central square and signature venue (The Hollywood Reporter).

The Leopard Club Award is named for the association that supports the Locarno festival and pays tribute to figures regarded as protagonists of contemporary cinema (Locarno Film Festival). Efira was celebrated on stage and took part in a public conversation moderated by Thierry Méranger, a critic and editor, as part of the festival's audience-facing programme (Locarno Film Festival).

Efira arrived at Locarno fresh from the Cannes Film Festival, where she shared the Best Actress prize with her co-star Tao Okamoto for Ryusuke Hamaguchi's film All of a Sudden (Soudain) (The Hollywood Reporter). The shared Palme d'Or acting honour — Cannes awards its top performance prizes jointly when the jury sees fit — recognised both performers for their work in the same film. At Locarno, Efira also presented All of a Sudden to festival audiences.

Locarno's artistic director, Giona A. Nazzaro, oversees a festival that ranks among Europe's longest-running film events, founded in 1946. The Piazza Grande, which seats roughly 8,000 spectators each night under the open sky, has become one of the most distinctive exhibition spaces on the festival circuit.

For Efira, the Locarno honour adds to a career that has moved steadily from French-language comedy and television hosting into dramatic roles that have drawn international festival attention. The Leopard Club Award places her alongside previous recipients recognised for their contribution to contemporary cinema.

The 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival runs through August 17, 2026.