Denis Cote‘s debut feature Drifting States in 2005 won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival.

This year, Montreal-based, Italian-born director Simone Rapisarda Casanova will hope for repeat success for a Canadian film with The Creation of Meaning, a Italy-Canada coproduction, as it screens in Locarno as part of the Cineasti del presente competition for first or second films.

The Ibidem Films title stars Pacifico Pieruccioni, Alexander Auf der Heyde and Benjamin Auf der Heyde.

The Canadian contingent at Locarno’s 67th edition will also be represented two Canadian short films, Hole by Martin Edralin and Sleeping Giant by Andrew Cividino.

Both will compete in the Pardi di domani category for emerging directors and film students.

Locarno, set to run from Aug. 6 to Aug. 16, will also see director Don McKellar and critic Andréa Picard serve as members of the jury for the Cineasti del presente and Opera Prima categories, respectively.