Talks, photo exhibitions, urban tours with special guides, book presentations, cinema and the return of great live music with Arisa in concert.
“Everything lights up” is the slogan that will accompany the program of the Paradise Film Fest, the film festival that for the third edition returns to illuminate the square of Hadrian’s Palace (PA) and which this year will bring audiences to reflect on how culture and particularly film can illuminate the lives of people and communities.
In the darkness of the cinema, but under the stars: July 28 to 31 the Sicilian square, known for being the natural film set for Giuseppe Tornatore’s Oscar-winning film “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso,” returns to host talks, master classes, photography exhibitions, urban tours with special guides, an award for the best short film given by a popular jury, music, book presentations and, of course, screenings.
The Paradiso Film Fest was created as an immersive experience to be lived in the village square and streets that have enchanted filmmakers and artists and welcome visitors from all over the world every day. The Festival, conceived by the City of Palazzo Adriano, this year entrusts the Artistic Direction to Beppe Manno and Adriana Tuzzeo. Together they will accompany the passionate audience of the small festival between visions and encounters for an unforgettable journey into the world of the seventh art: Manno is the director and the creator of the Itinerant Review of Auteur Cinema and has been promoting film culture and the productions of filmmakers and documentary filmmakers throughout Sicily for more than ten years; Tuzzeo is a film and theater actress, has been the protagonist of numerous independent projects and the presenter of reviews and festivals of Cinema, including the review “Corti d’autore” of the 70th edition of the “Film Festival” of Venice.”
“This festival aims to leave permanent traces in the village throughout the year,” Manno and Tuzzeo explain. “Its strength lies precisely in the artistic and cultural proposal, in the liveliness of the area, in its institutional, economic and social components that come together to give life to days dedicated to film culture, meeting, community and beauty.”
The festival opens with the inauguration of Arianna Di Romano’s photo exhibition, “The Essence of Simplicity,” which sees Palazzo Adriano as the protagonist of the art project exhibited in several European cities and which poetically stops instants of the village’s life and landscape.
As in previous editions, the famous square will be transformed into an arena to share the excitement of outdoor cinema.Every afternoon starting at 6:30 p.m., the following will be presented The courts of Hadrian’s Palace, a shortlist of passionate and unconventional works between history, chronicle and biography balanced between different generations and genres; while in the evening full-screen screenings. The winning short film will be announced during the festival’s closing night and will be voted on by a popular jury composed of viewers of the screenings.
The evening screenings of Sergio Misuraca’s “Out of the Choir” (Thursday, July 28), Ryan De Franco’s “Cyclops Islands” and Giovanni Totaro’s “Happy Winter” (Friday, July 29), and Dino Lopardo’s short film “Old Man” featuring Leo Gullotta (Sunday, July 31), will be preceded by meetings with directors, actors, screenwriters and film personalities who will reveal behind-the-scenes and curiosities. Among the guests: Actors Alessio Barone and Dario Raimondi, screenwriters Paolo Pintacuda and Ignazio Rosato, actor Fabrizio Pizzuto, known to the general public for playing the role of Catarella in “Il giovane Montalbano,” actor Turi Giuffrida, who starred in “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso” and in more recent productions such as “La mafia uccide solo d’estate,” Davide Gatti, professor at the New Academy of Fine Arts Milan and Director of Photography, Maurizio Di Liberto, director and documentary filmmaker, and Dino Lopardo, playwright, screenwriter and actor.
Meetings with authors are also scheduled: in the spaces of the Old Hall of the Dara Palace, “La Sicilia di celluloide” curated by Enrico Nicosia will be presented, with interventions by speakers Maurizio Giannone and Gori Sparacino, and “Io Felicia” by Mary Albanese; the screening of the short film “Che altri occhi ti guardino” by Antonella Barbera and Alfio Leone will follow, On the life and political and social commitment of Peppino Impastato.
This year’s festival will again be a new opportunity to learn about the ancient village and its inhabitants through an
7-stage urban tour
(July 30 and 31), a walk discovering not only the places of “Cinema Paradiso,” but also stories, anecdotes and curiosities about the small town of the Sicans.
The projections are complemented by music, with Roberta Pecoraro’s vocals accompanied by Maestro Amedeo Mignano, performances by Maestros Jona Patitò, Alessio Russo and Corrado Neri, and the long-awaited square concert by Arisa, on stage Saturday, July 30 at 10 p.m. with Giuseppe (Gioni) Barbera on piano and from Jason Rooney on console.
Below is the full schedule of appointments:
Thursday, July 28
6 p.m. – Paradiso Film Fest opening and photo exhibition by Arianna Di Romano;
6:30 p.m. – Presentation of the book “La Sicilia di celluloide” edited by Enrico Nicosia; speakers: Maurizio Giannone and Gori Sparacino
7:30 pm – “The Shorts of Hadrian’s Palace,” screening of short films in competition;
10 p.m. – Meeting with actors Alessio Barone and Dario Raimondi and screening of the film “Out of the Choir” by Sergio Misuraca
Musical entertainment with Roberta Pecoraro and Maestro Amedeo Mignano
Friday, July 29
6:30 pm – “The Shorts of Hadrian’s Palace,” screening of short films in competition;
10 p.m. – Screening of the short film “Cyclops Islands” by Ryan De Franco
The documentary “Happy Winter” by Giovanni Totaro will follow.
Musical entertainment with Maestros Jona Patito and Alessio Russo
Saturday, July 30
4:30 pm – Hadrian’s Palace in 7 stages, urban tour through the streets of the village by the boys and girls of the “Ingenuity” project;
10:00 pm – Arisa in concert “Little summer tour”
Sunday, July 31
4:30 p.m. – Hadrian’s Palace in 7 stages, urban tour through the streets of Hadrian’s Palace by the boys and girls of the “Ingegni” project
6:30 p.m. – Presentation of the book “Io Felicia” by Mary Albanese; followed by the screening of the short film “Che altri occhi ti guardino” by Antonella Barbera and Alfio Leone
7:30 pm – “The Shorts of Hadrian’s Palace,” screening of short films in competition;
10 p.m. – Talk with the guests of Paradiso Film Fest and awarding of the winning short film of the 1st edition of “The Shorts of Palazzo Adriano” competition;
Screenings of the short film “Old Man” by Dino Lopardo with the participation of Leo Gullotta will follow;
musical entertainment with Maestro Corrado Neri
TV presenter Gabriella di Carlo WILL PRESIDE THE EVENT.
Artistic direction: Adriana Tuzzeo and Beppe Manno
Event organized by the City of Palazzo Adriano in collaboration with the Pro-loco of Palazzo Adriano.
