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Powerful spotlights have been turned back on in Taormina. At this time of year the Ionian town becomes a hub for multicultural discussion and reflection, and until Sunday it will be at the center of attention thanks to the Taormina Film Festival, now in its 72nd edition with a challenging legacy, which makes it one of the strategic events of regional programming. A perspective with broad implications, which we talk about with Bernardo Campo, extraordinary commissioner of the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation which promotes the exhibition. The regional manager, already at the top of the Archaeological Park of the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento and of the Foundation itself from 2020 to 2022, was called back to lead it last February, to take care of a new phase of valorisation and relaunch.
The Taormina Film Festival is one of the longest running film festivals in Italy, what is its specificity today?
It is an event that has managed to build an unmistakable identity, combining the excellence of artistic quality with a stage that has no equal in the world. A very high profile cinematographic selection that rigorously looks at both the great masters and new languages; on the other, the breathtaking setting of the Ancient Theatre, a thousand-year-old temple of culture that transforms every film and every meeting into a moment of pure magic, offering an experience impossible to replicate.
How is it positioned in the context of Italian and international film festivals?
The Festival occupies a position of great importance among the main Italian cinematographic events and continues to strengthen its international dimension. The presentation at the Cannes Film Festival was an important signal: it means bringing Taormina back to the center of the great cultural circuits and of the world film industry. Our goal is to consolidate the festival’s role as a bridge between Italian, European and international cinema, while enhancing Sicily as a place of culture, creativity and audiovisual production. To make the Festival even more dynamic and future-oriented, it was decided to dedicate a central space to the world of young people, actively involving them through dedicated meetings, and highlighting new productions and emerging talents that represent the future of the big screen.
What most characterizes this 72nd edition and what is different from the past?
This edition is characterized by a clear vision: to strengthen the international profile of the festival while enhancing its historical prestige. We have built a program capable of attracting great protagonists of world cinema and, at the same time, offering ample space to the new generations. There is a greater focus on building international relations and transforming the festival into a permanent cultural platform. We wanted to take a decisive step by giving further solidity to the brand, as it represents not just an event but a real intangible asset value of the Foundation, to be protected and grown over time.
What global impact does the exhibition have in the Sicilian context?
The Festival is, first of all, a great pride for Sicily and a precious resource for the whole island. It is not just an event where you can see good films, but a real “business card”. When the festival attracts directors, actors and professionals from all over the globe, it brings with it tourism, visibility and opportunities for the territory. The Foundation supports it with a clear objective: to ensure that cinema becomes an engine of growth for everyone. We want this festival to be not just a parenthesis of a few days, but a tool capable of describing Sicilian excellence, making the island a fixed point of reference for culture and for those who produce cinema.
What is the institutional and strategic value of the Tao Film Fest within the framework of the Foundation’s activities, also in consideration of its historical legacy in the panorama of Italian festivals?
Boasting the record of being the oldest festival in Italy immediately after the Venice Film Festival, Taormina represents for us much more than a festival: it is the most vital instrument through which the Foundation pursues its institutional mission. Our commitment is to guide the constant evolution of this heritage, enhancing its authority and global attractiveness. Through the festival, we promote dialogue by forcefully reaffirming that culture is the beating heart and the essential engine for projecting Sicily at the center of the global artistic panorama.