Los Angeles, Jul 18 (IANS) Indian filmmaker and Cannes Grand Prix winner Payal Kapadia, along with US actor Tim Blake Nelson, Italian actor Luca Marinelli, and Belgian producer Diana Elbaum, have joined the jury of the Locarno Film Festival.

They will be part of the main jury of the prominent Swiss festival dedicated to indie cinema, which, as previously announced, will be headed by Austrian auteur Jessica Hausner, reports Variety.

In other Locarno jury announcements, the jury panel for the Filmmakers of the Present section, which focuses on emerging directors in their first or second feature, will include Nigerian filmmaker C.J. “Fiery” Obasi and French-Palestinian-Algerian filmmaker and actor Lina Soualem, among others.

The 'Leopards of Tomorrow' short film jury panel will consist of Italian multi-hyphenate Licia Eminenti, Malagasy curator and filmmaker Laza Razanajatovo, and French producer Juliette Schrameck.

The winner of the fest’s Swatch First Feature Award will be decided by Moroccan producer-director Khalil Benkirane, rising Finnish star Alma Poysti "Fallen Leaves", and Swiss-Italian make-up designer Esme Sciaroni.

The fest’s Pardo Verde Jury, dedicated to climate crisis films, will include Swiss-Rwandan artist, writer, and director Kantarama Gahigiri, French programmer and film critic Cedric Succivalli, and Swiss sustainability adviser, journalist, and arts manager Daniel Wiener.

“It is a tremendous privilege to welcome these talented artists and programmers to Locarno and to entrust them with the films our selection committees handpicked from the thousands that were presented to us,” said Giona A. Nazzaro, Locarno’s artistic director.

“It is through their creative gazes that this year’s official selection will be introduced to the world.”

The 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 7-17.