Luc Besson, Terry Gilliam, Emir Kusturica and Enrico Vanzina: There are four award -winning masters of contemporary cinema that will receive the career prize on the suggestive setting of the Antico Theater of Taormina on the occasion of the Gala evening of the Nations Awardthe film prize founded in the 70s within the International Film Festival of Messina and Taormina and already assigned to acclaimed icons of world cinema such as Gina Lollobrigida, Woody Allen, Claudia Cardinale, F. Murray Abraham, Gérard Depardieu, Ferzan Özpetek, Daniel Brühl, Christopher Lambert, Nicola Piovani, Abel Ferrara, Vittorio Storaro, Kevin Spacey and Giancarlo Giannini. The event, now in its 19th edition and dedicated to the great theme of environmental sustainability, is organized under the high patronage of the European Parliament and the Senate of the Republic, with the patronage and support of the Sicilian Region, Ars and Archaeological Park of Naxos, with the patronage of the Municipality of Taormina and the Metropolitan City of Messina.
After the announcement of the participation of Luc Besson – Famous director, screenwriter and French producer winner of the César Prize for the fifth element – which in Taormina in 1983 had previewed her first feature film, Le Dernier Combat, and a few years later he had returned to take the filming of Le Grand Bleu, consists of further and prestigious appearances the parterre of guests of honor of the Gala that famous the excellence of the seventh art. “We are proud to be able to welcome some of the masters to Taormina who have left an indelible imprint in great contemporary cinema, which can be popular and author at the same time” – they said Michel Curatolo and Marco Fallca, respectively president and artistic director of the event. “The highly anticipated return of Luc Besson as well as the timely adhesion of Gilliam, Kusturica and Vanzina confirm the value and mission of recognition, which intends to reward international artistic excellence but also to do it taking into account philologically related to the tradition and prestige of Taormina and the history of the great filmmakers who discovered or contributed to launch”.
Together with Luc Besson, author of iconic films such as Subway, Nikita and Léon, another legend such as Taormina will return to Taormina Terry Gilliam – director, screenwriter, comedian, animator, writer, producer and scenographer – the only American member of the Monty Python, whose animations to then initially directed a fully member later, collaborating on the television series Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969–1974) and the Monty Python films and the Sacred Grail, Brian of Nazareth and the sense of life. Winner of the Bafta Award for the exceptional contribution to British cinema and Bafta Fellowship to his career, Gilliam then oriented his career towards the direction of dramatic films, addressing issues related to imagination and opposition to bureaucracy and self -acting. Among the 13 feature films that he directed – sometimes set in dystopian worlds and with elements of black and tragicomic comedy – we remember masterpieces such as Brazil, the adventures of the Baron of Munchusen, the legend of the fisher king, the army of the 12 monkeys, fear and delusion in Las Vegas and the Grimm brothers and the enchanting witch.
Further prestigious presence in the parterre of Premiati is that of Emir Kusturica – director, musician and screenwriter – known for the extraordinary success between the 80s and 90s, author of films with a markedly surreal and grotesque character, and not without scratchy satirical ideas, which earned him all the main prizes of the most important film festivals. After the debut with the Guernica short film, awarded at the Karlovy Vary Festival, the Serbian naturalized Bosnian filmmaker won the Golden Lion for Best Opera first at the Venice Festival in 1981 for you remember Dolly Bell? And, in 1985, also the first golden palm at the Cannes Film Festival for Dad … is on business trip, as well as the Oscar nomination for the best foreign film. Awarded for the best direction in Cannes in 1988 for the next Il Tempo dei Gitani, he won the silver bear in Berlin for the waltz of the Fish Freccia, which was followed by the winning comedy of the Palma d’Or in 1995 underground, considered by critics his masterpiece and one of the best films of the twentieth century. In 1998, with black cat, white cat, a provocative and facer comedy set in a zygan camp on the bank of the Danube, he also won the silver lion – special prize for the direction.
Enrico Vanzina, the eldest son of the Great Steno, who alongside his father made his help as a assistant director and then turns on the script and signs, in over forty years of career, over one hundred screenplays, also composed to compose this special poker of exceptional filmmakers. The first is that of Mole di Miele in three in 1976, followed in the same year by a horse fever, considered by many to be her masterpiece. But he is together with his brother director Carlo who writes unforgettable screenplays of movies such as Sapore di Mare, Sunday lunch, Eccezzziunale … Really, Christmas holidays, Yuppies – The successful young people, the fake blondes, under the dress nothing, via Montenapoleone, the sky in a room, ex – friends as before!, Never united and does not steal at the house of the thieves. He also produced many television programs, including the series The boys of the 3rd C (1987-1989), Amori (1989), 1950s (1998), 1960s (1999) and a cyclone in the family (2005-2008). Today considered one of the greatest exponents of the Italian comedy, in 2023 he was awarded the David di Donatello to his career.