Romanian actress Katia Pascariu receives Best Actress award at Locarno International Film Festival

Actress Katia Pascariu was awarded at the Locarno International Film Festival for her role in the film “Sorella di Clausura” directed by Ivana Mladenović. The Romanian actress was given the Boccalino d’Oro Best Actress award, offered by the Jury of Independent Critics.

The award has a history of 25 years, and was given to Pascariu during a ceremony that took place on August 15. The jury said that “the interpretive authenticity and her ability to illuminate the film with humor and authenticity” stood behind the decision.

“Any recognition of work comes as a reward, but not all rewards are equal. I am truly happy and honored by this one and accept it with an open heart and in the name of our entire team. An honest and intense work that I had the luck to observe and admire and that kept me in a state of total pleasure, hyper-vigilance, respect, and responsibility,” declared Katia Pascariu.

“Sorella di Clausura,” the third feature film by director Ivana Mladenović, is an empathetic parody of romantic melodramas, and premiered officially on August 13 at the 78th edition of the Locarno International Film Festival.

The film’s protagonist, Stela (Katia Pascariu), a young woman from a village in Timișoara, with studies in philology, cannot find her place or purpose, but dreams of meeting the Balkan artist she once saw on TV and instantly fell in love with years ago. Hoping that Vera (Cendana Trifan), a singer rumored to know the star Boban (Miodrag Mladenović) well, will help her fulfill her dream and escape the poverty in which she lives, Stela goes to Bucharest, where she discovers that Vera has other interests.

The International Cinephile Society described the movie as an original take on a romantic comedy. The same review noted that “a great merit goes to actress Katia Pascariu, whose performance is stellar and anchors the entire production in a way that is truly captivating.” The actress was also noted in several other reviews.

Katia Pascariu is a graduate of the Faculty of Theatre – Acting Section at UNATC Bucharest and has a master's in anthropology and development from the University of Bucharest. She made her film debut in “Beyond the Hills” (2012, dir. Cristian Mungiu), collaborated with Radu Jude for the films “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn” and “Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World,” and with Eugen Jebeleanu for “Interior Zero” (2025).

radu@romania-insider.ro

(Photo source: press release)