Procida Film Festival is the renowned international film and documentary festival on the sea, directed, since 2017, by Francesco Bellofatto. Designed by Fabrizio Burgundy (died prematurely in 2015, ed), is today an important meeting point for actors, directors and producers. Its success is linked to the wonderful island that hosts it and to the work of those who love cinema in a visceral way. Bellofatto, who since 2019 has also curated MusicalMuto, an international review of silent short films in black and white, is a professional journalist, university professor and trainer. To the passion for cinema, entertainment and culture, he combines that for the economy: he is a consultant in marketing and communication. In this interview he introduces us to the Procida Film Festival and the evocative island where it takes place, named capital of culture 2022.
Francesco Bellofatto, how was the Procida Film Festival born?
«The Procida Film Festival was born from the love and passion of the late Fabrizio Borgogna for his island and for cinema. An indissoluble combination, which has seen Procida host about fifty international productions in the last sixty years. Fabrizio, tireless cultural animator, had sensed the great potential of the island to be the ideal location for different types of films, but above all to bring here the great flows of movie tourism, enthusiasts from all over the world on the trail of the places where masterpieces were shot such as "The Island of Arturo" and "The postman". Since Fabrizio's untimely death, the Borgogna family and a small group of friends have collected and relaunched the founder's dream, transforming the review, focused on the themes of the sea and the Mediterranean, into an international meeting point for actors, directors and producers ".
In this period marked by the pandemic, cinema is also suffering. What edition was that took place from 20 to 23 December, strictly online?
«Of course, the confrontation in person and the atmosphere that we create every year in the Festival Village and in other locations of the event, such as the Belvedere di Santa Margherita, the Marina di Procida and the Church of S. Giacomo, was very lacking. But the feedback of over 40 thousand spectators, who followed the marathon online for over 6 hours a day, the many prestigious guests and 85 thousand contacts during the days of the Festival are an unequivocal sign that, even in its online version, the Procida Film Festival formula is a winner».
Procida will be the Italian capital of culture 2022. What makes this island so special?
«The format of capital of culture, which in our specific context we have contributed to generate and nurture, is based on the great capacity of the local community to produce and multiply the cultural value expressed by the territory. From this point of view, Procida expresses two great strategic values, happily summarized in the slogan chosen by the promoting committee "culture does not isolate". They are the strong roots of the Procidans in local history and the connotation of the island, which over the centuries has been a meeting / clash / confrontation point between different peoples and cultures. These two elements are in the DNA of our review, which has always been dedicated, with its thematic workshops and laboratories, to the rediscovery of the roots and values of Procida and to cultural comparison ».
This is where blockbuster films were set. One of these is "Il Postino" with the unforgettable Massimo Troisi. How did you remember him?
«The Procida Film Festival is closely linked to the latest film by Troisi: the whole local community was involved in the production and Fabrizio himself was a tireless location manager. In the ten years since the film, Oscar winner Luis Bacalov has held a memorable concert in the square. In the 2019th anniversary of filming (and Troisi's death), the XNUMX edition of the Festival has gathered all the friends of the unforgettable actor on the island, such as, among others, Enzo Decaro, Anna Pavignano and Renato Scarpa ».
What opportunities does the Procida Film Festival offer to young talents?
"As the will of Fabrizio Borgogna, who as a young man focused on young people for the defense of the Procidan culture and the sustainable development of the island, the Festival launched, in collaboration with the Federico II Universities, Suor Orsola Benincasa and Orientale of Naples, as well as with the Academy of Fine Arts, the ProcidaLab format. It brings together eight young people from different universities for the realization, during the days of the festival, of a short film on the island. Besides mine, the formula bears the signature of prestigious cinema teachers such as Anna Masecchia and Gina Annunziata ».
Are you already thinking about the next edition?
«As regards the Procida Film Festival 2021, the construction site has already been open for a few months. It is our tradition, in fact, to roll up our sleeves immediately, simultaneously with the budgets of the finished edition. At the moment the international call is about to be launched, in line with the indications of the Campania Region. As for the collateral initiatives, there will continue to be a fruitful discussion with the Scientific Committee, with the prestigious presence of the professors Luigi Mascilli Migliorini and Guido Trombetti, who have always followed us.
We want to aim for a 'hybrid' edition, also on the basis of the good online results, with the extension, beyond the canonical days in attendance that we plan to carry out in September 2021, of a series of international initiatives throughout the year. . This is to encourage the meeting between young directors and international producers, with great attention to new distribution platforms. In this sense, contacts are underway with the Masters in Cinema and Television and with the Campania Film Commission. In any case, it will be a transitional edition towards the great appointment of 2022 with Procida, the Italian capital of culture ».
(Photo: Francesco Bellofatto Facebook page; Procida Film festival Facebook page)
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