After the great public success of the opening night, which featured the Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore, the Polish director Jan Komasa, the musician Angelo Privitera and the set designer Marco Dentici, the second day of the International Film Festival of Messina directed by the director and producer Francesco Cannavà, focuses on the evolution of visual languages, higher education and cinema of civil commitment. The program for Monday 27 July is, in fact, divided into two main moments, tracing an ideal path that starts from the industrial analysis of television series, in the afternoon, to arrive at the interesting screenings in competition under the stars, presented by Noemi David, face of Rai 2, known for being one of the hosts of the program Italian Green – Viaggio nell’Italia Sostenibile. In the evocative setting of the Parco Fiera – Agorà dello Stretto, at 9.30pm, spotlight on the Italian short film “Phantom” (Italy, 2024). The 17-minute dramatic short film is directed by Gabriele Manzoni and produced by the prestigious National Film School – CSC Production and is fresh from success at festivals such as the Venice International Critics’ Week and the Press Prize in Cortinametraggio. The film delicately and restlessly explores the world of youth subcultures. At the center of the plot is Leonardo, an introverted boy whose obsession with his Phantom F12 scooter turns into the driving force of an ambiguous friendship with the charming Dylan, dragging the viewer into a spiral of vulnerability and personal growth.
Following, for the Feature Film Competition, the powerful documentary of extraordinary civil urgency “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk” (France/Iran/Palestine, 2025, 113′), signed by the Iranian director Sepideh Farsi. Presented as a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (ACID section), the feature film was born from over two hundred days of remote video calls between the director and the twenty-five-year-old Palestinian photographer and poet Fatma Hassona, who documented daily life and resistance under the siege of Gaza from the inside. The film, whose title translates the motto of local reporters (“Take hold of your soul and walk”), represents an unforgettable historical and emotional testament: the young co-protagonist Fatma tragically disappeared together with her family during the conflict, just one day after the official selection of the film in Cannes.
The evening dedicated to the Middle East will be introduced by archive documents from the Istituto Luce and by Middle Eastern notes performed live by violinist Giovanni Alibrandi and accordionist Peppe Russo.
Noemi David will then present two pioneers of Messina culture: Nonna Melina and the Italian journalist Moroni Cicciò.
An exclusive video interview with Nonna Melina will be presented, a tribute to the history and female emancipation of the area. Born in 1938, Nonna Melina, a tireless eighty-eight year old, is among the very first women in Italy and Sicily to have obtained a degree, discussing a thesis entirely dedicated to cinema, a pioneering path from times gone by developed under the guidance of the philosopher Galvano della Volpe. Immediately afterwards, the Review will celebrate Italia Moroni Cicciò, a key figure of Sicilian cultural journalism and the first woman on the island to enroll in the Register of Professional Journalists in 1973. A historic signature of the cultural pages of the Gazzetta del Sud, Moroni Cicciò was named Knight of the Republic by President Sandro Pertini. For the occasion, the tribute will take the form of the talk “Three Generations of Stories”, hosted by Noemi David who will welcome the journalist accompanied by her son, actor and theater director Giampiero Cicciò, and her nephew, content creator and blogger, Fabrizio Villari Moroni.
In the afternoon, however, at the Apollo cinema at 6pm, under the banner of education with the “Messina Incontra” section, the Dams of Messina will present the masterclass “TV Series: From Idea to Industry”. During the meeting, the production and writing mechanisms that regulate the contemporary audiovisual market will be explored in depth. The guest of honor is Antonio Le Fosse, director, screenwriter and member of the famous Roman collective Grams. Le Fosse is one of the most interesting names in Italian serials for the Netflix platform, having edited the teenage drama “Baby” and the recent action period drama “Briganti”. Gaetano Aspa, coordinator of the university publishing project UniVersoMe, will talk with the author about the transformations of pop imagery. The moment of reflection will be repeated in the evening, shortly before the screening of the films in competition, in a conversation on the Agora stage between the film critic Franco Cicero, president of the Scientific Committee of the Festival, Gaetano Aspa and Antonio Le Fosse.
Then the focus will shift to geopolitics and human rights with a moment dedicated to the Iranian community of Messina. A delegation of women from the diaspora will take the stage to offer a touching direct testimony on the female condition in Iran, enriched by the artistic performance of the dancer and assistant director Kiana Ghodsi, who will perform to the tune of a traditional Persian song. Entry to the afternoon and evening events is open to the public while seats last.
The International Film Festival is organized by 8 Road Film and the ARB cultural association in collaboration with Colapesce Studio – PVK Produzioni Video Agency – UniVersoMe – Circolo della Borsa – Circolo del Tennis e della Vela, and is supported by the Municipality of Messina and the Messina Foundation for Culture in collaboration with the Strait Port System Authority.