Locarno Film retrospective to explore Hollywood Blacklist

The Locarno Film Festival will feature a retrospective focused on the Cold War-era Hollywood Blacklist at this year’s event, scheduled from August 5 to 15.

Named Red & Black – Hollywood Left and the Blacklist, this retrospective has been curated by Ehsan Khoshbakht.

The lineup will include feature films, documentaries, newsreels, and short films from the US, Britain, Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, and Argentina.

Notable industry figures from the period featured in the retrospective are John Garfield, Joseph Losey, Dalton Trumbo, Dorothy Parker, Richard Wright, and Charles Chaplin.

Similar to previous retrospectives at Locarno, this program will be complemented by a detailed book with contributions from global film scholars and critics. A podcast, penned by Khoshbakht, will also be released.

One of the most somber periods in the history of American cinema, the Hollywood Blacklist was marked by a wave of political persecution beginning in 1947, leading studios to ban individuals suspected of Communist affiliations.

“If you’re inclined to describe classic Hollywood as a ‘dream factory,’ you need to acknowledge how that fantasy was shattered by some of the most politically forward-thinking individuals in American film history, represented in over forty films in this retrospective,” Khoshbakht expressed in a statement.

“It’s the most timely project I’ve ever worked on. The creative modes of embedding political awareness into film, and the profound outcomes of such political resolve, weave together the compelling narrative of this program, providing fresh perspectives on the McCarthy era’s witch hunts.”

The 79th Locarno Film Festival will be held from August 5 to 15, 2026.