Saturnia Film Fest, pink and itinerant. Maremma, open-air cinema.

SATURNIA (Grosseto)

From July 30th to August 3rd, the Maremma region is bathed in cinema. The Saturnia Film Festival, now in its eighth year, will light up its screens in Manciano, Saturnia, Rocchette di Fazio, Montemerano, and the Terme di Saturnia. It will be a traveling festival, showing in a different location each evening to discover the gems of this area of Tuscany, known especially for its spas and charming medieval villages. “It’s traveling to those places where women are seen leaning out of their balconies, or even bringing their own chairs into the square when those available are sold out. We’re rediscovering the magic of cinema in the square, like in the olden days,” says Alessandro Grande, artistic director of the festival. Created and chaired by Antonella Santarelli, this year’s program features an all-female focus.

The world seen through the eyes of women, and the perspectives of female directors on the world. “This will be an edition that puts women at the center, with the ‘Women’s Views’ section created in collaboration with the associations Mujeres nel cinema, an association that brings together female professionals in the industry, and Olympia de Gouges, an association supporting women involved in gender-based violence,” says Antonella Santarelli. “We have collected stories of rebellion, intimacy, and memory, with five short films by female directors, tracing a path through the female gaze on the world. We will present them on the opening night of the festival,” says Alessandro Grande. Among the guests are two highly talented actresses, Selene Caramazza and Giulia Michelini. Selene Caramazza, Sicilian by origin, with a face both strong and fragile, and co-star of “Sei nell’anima,” the biopic about Gianna Nannini, will be part of the jury for the short films in competition.

Shortly after the Saturnia Film Fest, she will be racing to Venice, where Daniele Vicari’s film “Ammazzare stanca” (Killing Tired), about the first ‘Ndrangheta informer in Italy, is in competition. Giulia Michelini stars alongside Ambra Angiolini in Stefano Lorenzi’s “Afrodite,” one of the films premiering at the Saturnia Film Fest. Christian Filippi will present “Il mio compleanno” (My Birthday). Other prestigious guests at the festival include Lillo Petrolo, who will open the festival on July 30th and receive the Talent Without Borders award, and Francesco Gheghi, a young actor who has emerged as a revelation—an award winner last year at the Venice Film Festival—who will present his directorial debut, the short “La buona condotta” (Good Conduct).

Actor and director Maurizio Lombardi, winner of the 2024 Nastro d’argento for Giovanni Veronesi’s “Romeo is Juliet,” will present his short film “Marcello,” which also won a Nastro d’argento and stars Francesco Gheghi. One section, Art Short, is dedicated to artistic shorts and is directed by David Pompili, author of the festival’s poster, inspired by Pier Paolo Pasolini. The Saturnia Pitch, a meeting place for directors and producers, will also be held. “Over two days, the authors of 24 projects will come to Saturnia to present their projects to representatives of the main producers.

And the winner, as an incentive, will also receive €1,000. The goal is to create a network, a series of meetings between young authors and Italy’s top production companies.

Source: Lanazione.it – Giovanni Bogani