Isabella Rossellini tells Locarno she is staying in the U.S., cites “empty local cinemas” and says she “doesn’t like TV shows”

Isabella Rossellini said she is not planning to leave the United States despite what she described as a “very bad” political situation, speaking at the Locarno Film Festival after being honored with the festival’s Excellence Award the night before. In an onstage conversation reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Rossellini also tied her remarks about staying in the country to what she sees as a broader cultural issue, including the decline of traditional moviegoing venues.

Rossellini used the phrase “empty local cinemas” to describe the changes she believes have reshaped how audiences watch films, suggesting that theaters and local film spaces are struggling to draw crowds. She did not offer specific statistics in the reported account, but the remarks framed the issue as both personal and public, connected to the health of film culture beyond major premieres or studio releases.

The actress and filmmaker also addressed her relationship with television, saying, “I don’t like TV shows.” The comment, made as part of the same festival appearance, positioned her preferences in contrast to formats that have expanded audience attention away from theatrical viewing and toward home-based streaming and episodic programming.

Rossellini’s discussion came against the backdrop of her continued work across multiple roles in the industry, including acting and filmmaking, with the Locarno appearance serving as a festival platform for her career retrospective. The award itself, described in the report as Locarno’s Excellence Award, is presented as a recognition of achievement, and her remarks emphasized how industry choices and audience habits affect what kind of cinema audiences can reliably experience.

Asked about whether she would relocate, Rossellini said she is staying “for now,” while repeating that the political environment in the United States is “very bad.” The reported exchange did not detail any specific policy proposals or events she was referencing, but it placed her decision within a lived sense of cultural and institutional conditions.

Festival organizers and industry figures typically use award ceremonies as both a celebration and a forum for public remarks, and Rossellini’s comments landed on issues that extend beyond personal preference. Her criticism of empty theaters and her distaste for television suggested a view of contemporary entertainment consumption as a shift that can weaken local cinema ecosystems.

For audiences, the remarks offer a window into how at least some established filmmakers interpret the present moment for film culture, especially the availability and visibility of theatrical experiences. For theaters and local exhibitors, the idea that “local cinemas” are empty is the kind of operational challenge that affects programming decisions, staffing, and community access to film screenings.

The Locarno festival appearance is expected to continue through its regular program schedule, with Rossellini’s comments functioning as an additional public touchpoint for the festival’s broader film-industry conversation.

The California-based decision-making she implied by saying she is not leaving “for now” was presented without additional plans or deadlines in the reported account. The next step, based on the reporting, is continued observation of how prominent filmmakers and award recipients talk about theatrical access and media consumption habits as festivals and distributors continue to navigate audience fragmentation.