Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves restored cut at Locarno
DIRECT ANSWER: Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves is getting a new 4K restored director's cut that will premiere at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. The nearly four-hour extended edition screens Aug. 7 on the Piazza Grande as part of the fest's Histoire(s) du Cinema section, reviving the Oscar-winning 1990 Western for a new generation of viewers.
Variety reports that Costner's 1990 Western, about an American Civil War soldier who forges a relationship with a group of Lakota Indians, is receiving a fresh restoration ahead of its Locarno launch. The cult classic earned Costner the best director prize at the 1991 Oscars, along with six other Academy Awards.
Key Takeaways
- A restored director's cut of Dances With Wolves premieres Aug. 7 at Locarno's Piazza Grande.
- The extended edition runs nearly four hours and adds over 30 minutes of unseen material.
- Zurich lab Cinegrell led the 4K restoration with Locarno Heritage and K5 International.
- Locarno called the film a western that redefined the genre and highlighted Indigenous history.
- The 79th Locarno Film Festival runs Aug. 5–15; the full lineup drops July 9.
What is the restored director's cut of Dances With Wolves?
The film's restored director's cut is a nearly four-hour extended edition that incorporates over half an hour of previously unseen additional material. Organizers will screen it on Aug. 7 on the giant screen of the Swiss lakeside fest's large outdoor Piazza Grande venue.
The premiere is part of Locarno's Histoire(s) du Cinema section, which this year also includes newly restored titles such as Safi Faye's Letter From My Village and Roger Corman's Frankenstein Unbound.
Who restored Dances With Wolves for Locarno?
Dances With Wolves has been restored by Zurich-based laboratory Cinegrell in collaboration with the Locarno Film Festival through its Locarno Heritage project and the film's international sales agent, K5 International.
For more festival and restoration news, follow our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage as classic titles return to big screens worldwide.
Why does Locarno consider Dances With Wolves historically important?
"Costner's western epic, which won seven Academy Awards, including best picture and best director, helped redefine the western at the turn of the 1990s and drew global attention to the historical plight of Indigenous peoples on the American continent," the Locarno fest said in a statement reported by Variety.
Locarno artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro said the festival "engages with cinema of the past with an eye to the new generations and the audiences of tomorrow, who are already preparing today for the challenges posed by new technologies." The Costner restoration sits alongside heritage presentations ranging from Safi Faye to Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata.
When is the 2026 Locarno Film Festival?
The 79th Locarno festival will take place Aug. 5–15. The full lineup will be announced on July 9, giving audiences a clearer picture of how the Dances With Wolves premiere fits into the broader program.
Aug. 7 is the key date for Costner fans: that is when the restored director's cut screens on Piazza Grande as part of the Histoire(s) du Cinema lineup.