Full Breakdown
Rick Baker to Receive Locarno Film Festival’s Vision Award
6/18/2026, 8:40:18 PM
Vision Award Presentation in Piazza Grande
Veteran makeup-effects artist Rick Baker will be presented with the honorary Vision Award at the 79th Locarno Film Festival. The ceremony is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, 12 August 2026, on the festival’s iconic Piazza Grande in Locarno, Switzerland. In addition to receiving the award, Baker will curate two screenings from his oeuvre—*An American Werewolf in London* (1981) and *The Nutty Professor* (1996)—as part of the official program.
Background: Vision Award and Baker’s Career
The Vision Award, administered by the design collective Ticinomoda, honors individuals whose craft has expanded the cinematic imagination. Past recipients include costume designer Milena Canonero, sound designer Ben Burtt, and editor Pietro Scalia. Baker’s résumé spans more than five decades of genre and blockbuster work. He created the iconic zombie transformation in Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video, the werewolf in *An American Werewolf in London*, and the Grinch in *The Nutty Professor*. His collaborations have involved directors such as George Lucas, David Cronenberg, Tim Burton, and Peter Jackson.
Key Figures & Organizations
- Rick Baker – Seven-time Academy Award winner for Best Makeup.
- Giona A. Nazzaro – Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival.
- Locarno Film Festival – International film event held 5–15 August 2026.
- Ticinomoda – Designer group presenting the Vision Award.
- Cindy Sherman – Designer of the 2026 festival poster.
- Other Honorary Recipients – Director Darren Aronofsky (Honorary Leopard), actress Isabella Rossellini (Excellence Award), and filmmaker Asia Argento (Life Achievement Award).
Data & Statistics
- Baker holds a record seven Academy Awards for Best Makeup, the most in that category to date.
- The Vision Award ceremony occurs on 12 August 2026; the festival runs 5–15 August 2026.
- Prior Vision Award honorees: Milena Canonero, Ben Burtt, Pietro Scalia.
- Baker will present two films from his catalog during the festival.
Official Statements & Festival Context
Locarno organizers described the Vision Award as a tribute to artists whose work “contributes to the renewal of the cinematographic imaginary.” The festival’s statement highlighted Baker’s role in establishing a “new visual grammar for cinematic metamorphosis” and noted his influence on successive generations of makeup artists. The event also underscores Locarno’s broader celebration of craft, with additional honorary recognitions for Aronofsky, Rossellini, and Argento.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Nazzaro, artistic director, added: “Rick Baker was responsible for a Copernican revolution in cinema: visionary and revolutionary, he opened new paths for the imagination of entire generations, showing what it truly means to witness physical transmutation on the big screen.” — Giona A. Nazzaro, Artistic Director, Locarno Film Festival
- “From his early make-up work on genre films in the 1970s to his sophisticated creature and character designs for large-scale studio productions, Rick Baker has forged a new visual grammar for cinematic metamorphosis, earning him a record number of Academy Awards for best makeup and cementing his status as a reference point for generations of artists,” — Locarno organizers
- “He has been responsible for crafting unforgettable werewolves to some of the most realistic gorillas ever created for film, each time redefining the audience’s sense of what is real and what is imagined on the big screen.” — Locarno organizers
- “Over his long career, Rick Baker has transformed Michael Jackson into a zombie in ‘Thriller’ and turned Jim Carrey into the Grinch.” — Locarno organizers
- “Presenting the Vision Award in Locarno to a pioneer and innovator like him, an absolute genius and incomparable craftsman, is an honour through which the festival celebrates the infinite possibilities of cinema and its bag of tricks.” — Giona A. Nazzaro
What’s Next: Festival Schedule and Additional Honorees
The Locarno Film Festival continues through 15 August 2026, featuring screenings, panels, and the presentation of other honorary awards. Audiences can anticipate the showcase of Baker’s selected films on 12 August, followed by the Vision Award ceremony later that evening. The festival’s program also includes honors for Darren Aronofsky, Isabella Rossellini, and Asia Argento, underscoring Locarno’s focus on artistic achievement across multiple cinematic disciplines.
