Vincente Minnelli to be Honored by Locarno Film Festival

Vincente Minnelli - the late stage and film director best known for his musical films such as 1944's Meet Me in St. Louis, 1951's An American in Paris, 1955's Kismet, and 1958's Gigi (for which he won an Oscar) - is set to be honored by the Locarno Film Festival in August.

"Balanced between dream and reality, humanity and cruelty, the real world and a stylized version of it, Minnelli's films are the high water mark of classic Hollywood movie-making," Olivier Pere, artistic director of the festival said according to the Hollywood Reporter. "But at the same time, they offer an elegant and highly personal vision of the loves and feelings of passionate characters."

The Locarno Film Festival, which will run August 3rd through 13th in Switzerland, intends to look back at Minnelli's career, using selected films and introducing each film by leading filmmakers, critics, and actors. They will also include a discussion and the release of journalist Emmanuel Burdeau's book on Vincente Minnelli.

Vincente Minnelli was only on his fourth film when he directed Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis. The two were married the following year. Minnelli soon became one of Hollywood's top musical directors, directed Garland again in Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) and The Pirate (1948). Their daughter, Liza Minnelli, went on to become a multi award-winning singer and actress. Following his divorce from Garland in 1951, he continued to enjoy tremendous success, with a long line of hits that includes The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), The Band Wagon (1953), Brigadoon (1954), Lust for Life (1956), Bells Are Ringing (1960), The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963) and The Sandpiper (1965). Minnelli passed away in 1986, shortly after being awarded France's highest civilian honor, the Commander Nationale of the Legion of Honor.

Read the full Hollywood Reporter article here.