Reaffirming one’s identity in a time in which many festivals seem to confuse cinema with its surroundings. This is the figure of the twenty-third edition of the festival conceived and directed by Gianvito Casadonte which until August 1st will transform the Ionian coast of Calabria into one of the most authoritative crossroads of Italian and international cinema.
In an increasingly event-oriented festival scene, the MGFF continues to defend its original vocation: discovering and accompanying first and second works, creating a virtuous dialogue between young authors and great protagonists of the screen. A philosophy strengthened by the work of journalists Antonio Capellupo at the helm of the documentary section and Silvia Bizio, a consolidated bridge between Hollywood and Italian cinema.
The opening perfectly describes this double soul. Magna Graecia Sport, curated by Massimo Mauro, brings Piero Ausilio to the stage to reflect on sport as a cultural language, before leaving room for one of the most awaited guests by the international public: Can Yaman. The Turkish actor, consecrated by the series “DayDreamer”, “Viola come il mare” and now the face of the new “Sandokan” (production and the Film Commission, following his specific request, assured that they are working on a second season), receives the Golden Pillar and retraces a career that transformed him from a television phenomenon to the protagonist of increasingly ambitious productions, up until his recent experience on the stage of the Sanremo Festival.
But it is precisely after the red carpet that the Festival reaffirms its mission with “He called him Rock’n’ Roll” by Saverio Smeriglio, a film in competition in the section dedicated to Italian debuts. A coming-of-age story in which music is not just a soundtrack, but becomes a language of identity and an instrument of emancipation. Rock and roll as a symbol of a generation looking for its place in the world, oscillating between the desire for freedom, the contradictions of growth and the weight of family and emotional relationships, at the center of the director’s work. The pace will not slow down even in today’s second event in which the Teatro Comunale will host the documentaries “Radio Solaire” and “Brunori Sas – Il Tempo delle Noci”, also inaugurating the “Bella come il Cinema” exhibition, dedicated to the productions supported by the Calabria Film Commission. In the evening there will be space for the international gaze with “Nino”, the debut by Pauline Loquès, a delicate story about fragility and resilience, a film that addresses the disease without telling it directly.
And Kevin Spacey’s return to Italy will be one of the most anticipated moments of this edition of the Festival. On August 1, the actor will receive the Golden Column and “The Price of Hollywood”, the film directed by George Huang, will be screened. Twice Oscar winner, Spacey will talk with Silvia Bizio.
Finally, there are three juries of the Festival: for Italian films Renato De Maria (president), Gianni Canova, Matteo Oscar Giuggioli, Aurora Giovinazzo and Marco D’Amore; for the internationals Caterina Murino (president), Valeria Bilello and Ivan Carlei and for the documentaries Francesco Frangipane and Domenico Vacca (president), students of the cultural association JUMP – Gioventù in riSalto.