Foregoing the traditional launching and celebration of the Italian Film Festival, the Moviemov which is produced and organized by the cultural association PlayTownRoma under the artistic direction of Goffredo Bettini, was able to bring the Italian Cinema to the Philippines this year via online viewing.
The MOVIEMOV 2020 ran from April 21 to 26 despite all the restrictions and limitations due to the ongoing pandemic emergency. This new edition of the festival is fully and housed in a virtual movie theater set up for the occasion in collaboration with My Movies.
Some of the artists from the selected films, including Laura Luchetti, Fulvio Risuleo, Paolo Calabresi who, together with the godmother of the festival, Elena Radonicich, sent their video messages to the viewers in the Philippines.
This year, the 6 days of Festival were the culmination of a journey that started months before with the universities and the FDCP Cinematheque Center Manila that were involved in the selection of the 6 movies to be presented. The inclusive and participatory process of organizing the festival was facilitated by The Philippine Italian Association, which generated a constructive dialogue and confrontation on and around Italian Cinema.
Interestingly, the return of Ferzan Ozpetek with his “La Dea Fortuna” – after having won two of the past editions “The Goddess Fortune”, a comedy that received 4 nominations at the David di Donatello awards.
Other movies presented were: “Lontano Lontano” / “Citizens of the World”,
directed by Gianni Di Gregorio which saw the last performance of Ennio Fantastichini; “Genitori Quasi Perfetti” / “Parents in Progress” by Laura Chiossone, a dramedy in which the hypocrisy and the weaknesses of human relations are staged in a theatrical way; “Fiore Gemello” / “Twin Flower”
by Laura Luchetti, a story on the formation of two teenagers in their quest for a lost innocence; “Il colpo del cane” / “The Dog Snatch”, the latest indie comedy by Fulvio Risuleo that gives voice to the discomfort of a precarious generation; “Il Testimone invisibile “ / “The Invisible Witness” by Stefano Mordini, a thriller that got two nominations at the Nastri d’Argento and one nomination at the David di Donatello awards.
The winning entry in the 2020 edition of the Moviemov Italian Film Festival, as selected by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, together with the Philippine Italian Association, is FIORE GEMELLO by Laura Luchetti.
All the screenings were in the original language, Italian with English subtitles and exclusively viewable in the Philippines free of any charge.
Viewership was more than 3500 and with about 76000 interactions in all the social media of the festival.
Moviemov organizers and together with The Philippine Italian Association wish to thank everyone and hope that when the pandemic is over, they will get to meet Italian film lovers to another year of quality, meaningful and critically acclaimed Italian movies that everyone will get to enjoy.
Ciao!
