1990 Kevin Costner Classic, Winner Of Seven Oscars, Returns In Restored 4K Cut
Kevin Costner's Oscar-winning western Dances With Wolves is heading back to the big screen in a newly restored 4K extended director's cut, with its world premiere set for the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland this August.
Festival organizers unveiled the screening as part of the Histoire(s) du Cinéma program, which celebrates landmark works and major restoration projects from film history.
The nearly four-hour edition will screen on Aug. 7 in Locarno's famous Piazza Grande, one of Europe's largest open air cinema venues. According to the festival, the restoration was completed by Zurich laboratory Cinegrell in partnership with the Locarno Heritage project and international sales company K5 International.
The restored version includes more than 30 minutes of additional footage beyond the original theatrical release, offering audiences the opportunity to experience the film as Costner originally envisioned it.
The 1990 epic earned seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and remains one of the defining westerns of its era for its portrayal of relations between a Union Army officer and the Lakota people.
Festival Celebrates Cinema's Legacy
Dances With Wolves is only one highlight in a program that places restored classics alongside influential works from around the world.
Among the featured restorations is Letter From My Village (1975) by Senegalese filmmaker Safi Faye, recognized as the first feature directed by a woman from sub-Saharan Africa to receive commercial distribution.
The film, restored through the Locarno Heritage project and Arsenal FilmInstitut, tells the story of a young couple whose hopes of marriage are challenged by drought and the hardships of village life.
Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro said the festival continues to build meaningful conversations between celebrated classics and lesser-known cinematic treasures, while introducing them to future generations navigating an evolving technological landscape.
Studio Ghibli, Roger Corman Also Honored
The festival's heritage lineup also pays tribute to several influential filmmakers.
A special centenary screening will honor legendary producer and director Roger Corman with his final directorial feature, Frankenstein Unbound (1990), starring John Hurt, Raúl Juliá and Bridget Fonda.
Animation fans will also see a tribute to late Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata. His acclaimed anti-war masterpiece Grave of the Fireflies will screen on Aug. 7, with an introduction by his son, Kosuke Takahata. Takahata previously received Locarno's Honorary Leopard in 2009.
The program also includes rediscovered works by Swiss experimental filmmaker Isa Hesse-Rabinovitch through the festival's partnership with the Cinémathèque Suisse. The 79th Locarno Film Festival runs from Aug. 5 to Aug. 15, with the complete lineup scheduled to be announced on July 9.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 8:07 AM.