After 9 days of screenings, meetings, debates, we can talk and talk about a very successful event. A very large and enthusiastic audience animated all the events of the “Spring of Italian Cinema – Federico II Award”. Everyday. Also actively participating in post-screening debates with authors and directors.
If we had to choose a postcard to immortalize this tenth edition of Spring, we would undoubtedly opt for the news that captured Matteo Garrone right at Cosenza: a few minutes before going on stage and meeting the audience that packed the Citrigno cinema, here is the happy news: «I Captain» is the Italian film chosen to compete in the top five for the best international film on Oscar night. But it was just the icing on a truly delicious cake.
«The outcome of the Festival is extraordinarily positive – states the artistic director with conviction Massimo Galimberti – the reception from the Cosenza and Calabrian public was exceptional. I must add that, thanks to an extremely professional organization, we were able to recover the best of Italian cinema, giving prestige and value to contemporary production. And demonstrating that Italian cinema is still alive, alert, exciting and above all capable of attracting an audience that, despite the words, is always present.”
The artistic director then highlighted how the Calabria Film Commission, together with the other national and regional Film Commissions, plays a crucial role in the development of cinema, not only at a local but also national level. And it has proven to be extremely attentive to contemporary cinema which, thanks to the creation of a network of interactions, it can manage to enhance, attracting international resources.
The patron of the Primavera and president of Anec Calabria is also very happy, Citrigno Pine. «It was nice to have so many illustrious names of Italian cinema in Cosenza – said Citrigno, visibly moved – starting with Massimo Cantini Parrini, the greatest Italian costume designer, with five David di Donatello. And I’m happy to have brought some luck to my friend Matteo Garrone. Saturday evening was an unforgettable show… in the splendid traditional theater of the city, the Rendano, we all listened very carefully to the words of Roberto Andò, fresh winner of a David di Donatello, Mario Martone, Francesco Di Levaalso awarded the David di Donatello, Edoardo Leo, Giorgio Verdelli. And then the guest star, whose name we kept hidden until the end: Alessandro Borghi». Citrigno also expressed words of praise and heartfelt thanks to the efforts made by the Calabria Film Commission, to which he attributes much of the credit for the return of the Primavera del Cinema.
«We have brought Cosenza back into the spotlight of national cinema – continued Citrigno – as we did in past years, and the results are evident. Seeing the crowded rooms is a great satisfaction for me who has been working in the sector for more than thirty years. My goal has always been to bring the audience into the theater, because I think a film deserves to be seen by everyone. There are many possibilities and motivations to bring the public closer, and in this sense our festival worked very well as a promotion of cinema: the theaters were full even during reruns. International cinema – concluded the president of Anec Calabria – is going through a crisis of ideas, but events like ours can be a stimulus for spectators to return to being passionate about cinema and for professionals to understand how to report the public in the theaters”.
He expressed satisfaction as well Anton Giulio Grande, extraordinary commissioner of the Calabria Film Commission, present at the final evening and extremely satisfied with the extraordinary audience result and the caliber of the guests who attended to enrich the show. «It was a triumphal return with the participation of numerous protagonists of auteur cinema. The Spring of Italian Cinema – underlined Grande – is one of the festivals that have given us the most satisfaction together with the other 17 events supported and the 11 cultural events. This must be a source of pride for the Calabria Film Commission and for the Calabria Region which works to stimulate an increasingly active and growing sector.”
The commissioner did not fail to underline the hope that this festival, together with the numerous other initiatives financed and supported by the body he presides over, can overcome regional and national borders to raise awareness of our territory, which could easily become a location for film productions . Because he said he was firmly convinced that cinema is culture and that giving a new imprint to both cinema and culture is fundamental. «The event – he concluded – exceeded the hoped-for results, reaching an exceptional level, not only from a cinematographic point of view, but also culturally».
In the meantime, pressed by reporters, the tireless Pino Citrigno announced that after a well-deserved – and short – rest we will start thinking about the 11th edition…
