THE CLUB The Leopard Club has been created in 2008 by its President Rolando Benedick to support the Locarno Film Festival and to offer its members the opportunity to show friends and colleagues the special bond that binds them to the event. ITS ROLE FOR THE LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL From the outset the Club has successfully established itself as a fundamental contributor to the future of the Festival, which this year reaches its 73rd edition and has gained a unique position in the landscape of the major international film festivals. Every August around 170,000 cinema-goers, over 1000 journalists and 3,000 professionals converge on Locarno. At nightfall, before 8,000 moviegoers, the famous open-air screenings in the extraordinary setting of the Piazza Grande are celebratory and magical occasions for all audiences. LEOPARD CLUB MEMBERS Leopard Club members enjoy a series of exclusive privileges that make every night spent at the Festival a special one. Every year Leopard Club members are invited to the exclusive gala reception, which traditionally takes place on the first Friday of the Festival. Many personalities, including Federal and State Councilors, leading financial and cultural representatives as well as show business celebrities attend what has become one of the most pleasant and appreciated events in the Festival's calendar.