'500 Days' to open Locarno

Lineup to include 'Complices,' 'Famous'

By NICK VIVARELLI

The Locarno fest will open with nonlinear romantic comedy '500 Days of Summer,' a Sundance fave.

The European preem of Fox Searchlight’s hot romancer “500 Days of Summer,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel, will open the 62nd Locarno Film Festival, which has also announced a trio of other titles.

Musicvid director Marc Webb’s feature debut, “500 Days” will kick off the Swiss lakeside event for first-timers and indie fare on Aug. 5. It plays out of competition. Pic bows Stateside July 17.

The romantic comedy with a nonlinear narrative was a favorite at Sundance, where it world preemed.

The 10-day fest has also announced two tyro works in competition, Swiss helmer Frederic Mermoud’s romantic thriller “Complices,” starring Gallic thesps Emmanuelle Devos and Gilbert Melki, and Brazilian helmer Esmir Filho’s “The Famous and the Dead,” about the online world of a rural Brazilian teen, co-produced by Warner Bros.

Another confirmed competition title is Chinese entry “The Search,” inspired by an opera by Tibetan helmer Pema Tseden, who is also known as Wanma Caiden.

The complete lineup will be announced July 16.