Short Film News (SFN)- In his first move as artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival, Olivier Pere has overhauled the selection committee and dropped a competitive strand Ici Ailleurs will not be a part of the 63rd Locarno festival.

Pere will streamline the festival’s Competitive section into two clear strands with 18 films apiece the International Competition, for established filmmakers, and the Filmmakers of Tomorrow strand, featuring first and second-time directors.

Olivier Pere, who took up his post on September 1st, “With this retrospective we want to pay tribute to one of the greatest filmmakers and uncontested master of comedy. This full retrospective aims to offer the Locarno audience and historians alike an opportunity to (re)discover the many aspects of that celebrated “Lubitsch Touch”, a unique blend of elegance, satire, wit, understatement and pacing.”

Olivier Pere for 10 years was heading Director’s Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival.

The retrospective will subsequently be presented at the Cinémathèque française in September 2010.

In addition: the new selection committee for the Locarno International Film Festival has been announced. It comprises Philip Cheah (Singapore), Jean-François Deveau (France), Mark Peranson (Canada), Roberto Turigliatto (Italy) and Agnès Wildenstein (France).

The 63rd Locarno Film Festival will take place from August 4 -14 next year.