Voices and ways of melodrama against gender violence in the film “Zobeide” by Luciangela Gatto, a director from Cosenza whose parents are from Messina. Already in competition for the Emi Mammoliti Award at the Messina Opera Film Festival 2025, where it was presented as a national preview, the short film received a Special Mention at the nineteenth Tulipani di Seta Nera, a social cinematography festival – promoted by Università Cerca Lavoro in collaboration with Rai Cinema Channel, Rai per la Sustainability Esg and Rai Public Utilità – currently underway in the capital.
The short film “Zobeide”
Homage to the short story “Cities and Desire” by Italo Calvino, “Zobeide” narrates the apparently normal evening of a twenty-year-old girl in the company of her usual friends. In the space of twenty seconds, personal growth will take place in the young woman following an awareness of the cultural violence that regulates relations between the sexes. Protagonists Alice Albano, Gabriele Darrigo, Idriss Coulibaly and Francesco De Gregorio.
Sicilian presences and recognitions
There were several Sicilian presences at the festival, such as the Palermo director Giusi Cataldo, winner of the Best Director award for “Hatouched!”, on diversity, and the Catanian Giuseppe Cardaci. His short film “Via Bellezza 11”, on the importance of kindness, received the Best Actor award for his performance as the actor from Ación Antonio Catania.
Among the awards of this edition also the Smile Award for Journalism, awarded to Fabio Vasco’s short film “Er Zinale”, on the culture of memory, by a jury composed of the Messina journalist of “Gazzetta del Sud” Marco Bonardelli with Nicole Bianchi (“Cinecittà News”) and Carlo Griseri (“Cinemaitaliano”).
Special mentions and finalists
The jury also awarded a Special Mention to the actress from Reggio Calabria, from Marina di Gioiosa, Marcella Mesiti for her performance as Giuseppina Pesce, the first ‘Ndrangheta woman to rebel against her family and collaborate with justice, in the short film “Disonored” by Vincenzo Caricari.
Finalist of the #SocialClip section – chosen by the jury chaired by the singer-songwriter Silvia Salemi, from Palazzolo Acreide (Syracuse) – the video of “Sing again”, Arisa’s song on fragility and acceptance, written by the Lucanian artist with Giuseppe Barbera from Messina for the acclaimed film by Margherita Ferri “The boy with pink trousers”, on the true story of fifteen-year-old Andrea Spezzacatene, who committed suicide due to cyberbullying.