Big national and international stars, but not just glam, at the 72nd Taormina Film Festival, from 10 to 14 June. An intense program, enriched by new spaces dedicated to young people and the Sicilian territory. The artistic director Tiziana Rocca specified this during the press conference in Rome, reiterating the desire to go beyond the already consolidated objectives. Presenting the jury of the “International Feature Film Competition”, chaired by the Oscar-winning director Jane Campion, he reiterated the importance of the youth quota in the juries. In fact, the Youth Campus jury is back, formed with Anec Sicilia and made up of around 300 students and 25 young jurors who will award the Cariddino d’Oro; They are joined by the Arca Enel jury, made up of 50 young people from all over Italy, who will award the Arca Prize to the Best Italian Film, and will participate in screenings, masterclasses and meetings. “At this time when the future of young people is very uncertain, we want to make them understand that, even amidst a thousand difficulties, they can make it, just as the great actors have done it.” The young star of «The White Lotus» Sam Nivola will preside over the two juries.
A new section, «Short Film Competition – Sguardi di Sicilia», will instead host Sicilian stories and talents, adding to the International Competition, the Out of Competition and the Major Events at the Ancient Theatre. «I am very proud of this section – she said –. I was already asked last year to give space to local talents and I think it’s right to do so for films shot in Sicily.” Among the titles of the new competition is the docu «Fango» by Daniele Gonciaruk from Messina, on the Giampilieri flood. Messina is also present with the village of Piraino, set of the short «Io rido» by Francesco Lama with Tony Sperandeo; while Ninni Bruschetta and Nino Frassica (who will also receive the Taormina Film Festival Achievement Award) will be in the cast of the out-of-competition film «The Lemon Tree» by Bruno Colella.
Among the most anticipated Italian actors is Giancarlo Giannini, who will be awarded the Taormina Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award and will present both the film «Baracoa» by Luis Ernesto Doñas and the docufilm «A journey to meet Mimì» by Alfredo Lo Piero, a tribute to Lina Wertmüller’s cult «Mimì metallurgico wounded in honor». The opening of the event has already been announced with the Italian preview of the first episode of the third season of «House of The Dragon», the acclaimed prequel to «Game of Thrones», with the presence at the Teatro Antico of the protagonists Steve Toussaint, Tom Glynn-Carney, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia and Phoebe Campbell, and the Golden Globe Prize for Documentary to the Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore for «Brunello, the polite visionary», on the life of the entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli, scheduled for June 12th.
Among the most loved foreign guests is Helen Mirren, who on the 11th will receive the Taormina Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in the special evening dedicated to Anna Magnani, on the occasion of the screening at the Teatro Antico of the restored version of «Bellissima», 75 years after the release of Luchino Visconti’s masterpiece. The same recognition will be given to Russell Crowe, at the festival with the world premiere of the film “Bear Country” by Derrick Borte. Special attention to the role of women in the film industry with the panel on 11 June “Women beyond the gaze” in which the actress Anna Valle, godmother of the festival, will also participate.
The Taormina Film Festival is promoted and organized by the Taormina Arte Sicilia Foundation, with the patronage of the Sicilian Tourism Department, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the Municipality of Taormina and with the support of the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park and the Sicilia Film Commission.
