Another success for the Milazzo Film Festival which closed its doors last Sunday after welcoming Sergio Rubini, Anna Carlucci, Vanessa Scalera, Sonia Bergamasco, Marco Tullio Giordana and the set designer Marco Dentici on the stage of the Trifiletti theater. The eleventh edition of the Mamertina kermesse, the second branded Attorstudio, conceived by the association l’Altra Milazzo together with the artistic directors Mario Sesti and Caterina Taricano attracted the attention of several experts in the sector and a vast audience who attended the four days of the Festival. The section dedicated to podcasts was also appreciated with Massimo Sebastiani of Ansa, author of “La parola della settimana” and Pablo Trincia author of “Veleno”, “Dove nessuno guarda”, “E poi il silenzio. Il disastro di Rigopiano”.
During the meeting with Anna Carlucci, the documentary La vita tra le mani (Italy – 2024) by Anna Carlucci was screened. And then there was the awarding of the Lo Scarabeo d’Argento – Commitment Prize to the association Bambini Cardiopatici nel Mondo. An initiative promoted by the honorary consul of Bulgaria, Giovanni De Luca from Milazzo, and by the director of the Corolla Park, Santi Grillo.
This year, the Milazzo Film Festival also stood out for its many new features. First of all, the preview on March 5 with the show Sud by Sergio Rubini.
“With Antonio Nunzio Isgrò and Marco Vitale, we are very satisfied with the success of this edition – says Antonio Napoli, organizer of the Festival – We are already ready to structure the program for next year, even richer. The formula is popular and we just want to perfect it to give an even more important edition for our city”
Two hundred and twenty-six short films from all over the world arrived for the competition. The winners were announced during the last evening.
The winners of the podium were: POLIFEMO PRIZE – best short film made by authors born or resident in Sicily – “Sante o Puttane” by Giovanni Dinatale. EIGHTH ISLAND PRIZE – ‘El extrano caso del hombre bala’ (ECUADOR) by Roberto Valencia. POSIDONIA PRIZE – for the short film that best promoted the protection of the marine ecosystem, telling the story of the sea and its protagonists – Damji (IRAN) by Nazanin Chitsaz. INAIL LA DIGNITA’ DEL LAVORO PRIZE – awarded to the best short film made by authors under 35, on the theme of work and safety at work – “Mercato Libero” (ITALY) by Giuseppe Cacace. DEPAGROUP PRIZE – awarded to the best short film on the theme of well-being, health and old age – “Self-Portrait” (REPUBLIC OF KOREA) by Se Kwon Seo.
“JOSEPH MARIA LO DUCA” AWARD, reserved for the best short film overall, went to “The Ballad” (FRANCE) by Christofer Nilsson.
Another new feature film competition for the 2025 edition was the International Feature Film Competition dedicated to Attilio Liga, a well-known entrepreneur from Milazzo who also worked in the film industry. Each year this section will have a different declination. This year I was in the competition for musical docufilms. The winner was Kissing Gorbaciov (Italy – 2023) by Luigi D’Alife and Andrea Paco Mariani.
The Scarabeo d’Oro were awarded on the last evening of the Festival.
The Scarabeo d’Argento Sustainable Life awarded to those who exalt the sustainability of life went to the president Claudio Graziano of Lute Milazzo.
For a couple of editions now, the Milazzo Film Festival has awarded “Lo Scarabeo d’Argento – Factory” to entrepreneurs in our area who promote a positive corporate culture, this year it went to Parco Corolla and Tipografia Lombardo.
The Scarabeo d’Argento Press, one of the new awards for 2025, went to Giovanni Petrungaro, journalist of the Gazzetta del Sud and press officer of the Municipality of Milazzo
The Culture & Media award instead went to Gloria Satta, journalist of Il Messaggero
There was also space for awards for music and cinema. The Scarabeo d’Argento also went to the musician Fabio Sodano from Milazzo and to Giulia Giuffrè in her capacity as president of the Fondazione Salina Doc Fest.
On Sunday afternoon, two short films were also screened out of competition. “Allontanarsi dalla linea” by Dario Cangemi and Mimmolumano by Vincenzo Caricari.
Allontanarsi dalla Linea is a poetic portrait of a land that sees its young people leaving. A work written and produced by the young Palermo native Dario Cangemi who tries to outline its features and question the phenomenon. In the last seven years, 364 thousand young people have left Sicily, as if the entire city of Catania had left. A story told on the ground that highlights the anguish and ugliness of a situation that does not foresee a different future.
The event was followed with great success by the schools that populated and animated the Trifiletti theater during all the mornings of the Festival. Meetings that took place with the presence of the guest actors of the Festival.
Three schools were awarded in the contest dedicated to women. First place went to “Fuori dalla finestra” Classe 2AS Liceo Scientifico di “Spadafora”, second “L’eco della libertà” IIS “Renato Guttuso” Milazzo Liceo Artistico, third “Cieli immensi” MITA school of Cinema and Theatre Istituto Comprensivo Brolo.
The thematic meetings on Saturday morning were very popular, such as Cinema and AI, the revolution in the world of celluloid with Diana Artuso – Regional Director Inail Sicily, Francesco Parisi – University of Messina, Giuseppe Giorgiani – CEO of Innova, Mateusz Miroslaw Lis – AI Engineer film producer & cinematographer Sophia Vision. And then Cineturismo, locations and landscapes moderated by Enrico Nicosia with Nicola Tarantino, Director of Sicilia Film Commission, Giovanni Saulini and Silvia Innocenzi, producers, Michelangelo Messina, location manager and director of Ischia Film Festival
Cateno Piazza, president Fcs Coordination of Film Festivals in Sicily.
EcoMuseo 2.0 with Filippo Grasso, University of Messina, Mario Sfameni, EcoMuseo Kersoneso d’Oro facilitator, Antonio Nicosia, Councilor of the Municipality of Milazzo, Santi Grillo, director of Parco Corolla, Gianluca Visalli, Computer Engineer expert in AI and Giuseppe Amendolia, president of Centro Commerciale Naturale Milazzo.