Taormina FilmFest Announces 64th Edition Winners

The sixty-fourth edition of the Taormina FilmFest, produced by Videobank, just wrapped having featured over 50 films including 14 World Premieres, 12 European Premieres, and over 10 Italian premieres, including documentaries and shorts, under the new artistic direction of Silvia Bizio and Gianvito Casadonte. The all-female jury, headed by President and producer Martha de Laurentiis, announced the winners of this year's festival, which spotlighted social issues including themes of human rights, feminism, bullying, and social inclusion.

"The festival offered a week-long series of exceptional films which were attended by a very attentive audience who appreciated their selection, originality and depth," said artistic co-director Silvia Bizio. "Our master classes offered laughter, introspection and curiosity, with exciting moments including Richard Dreyfuss "crashing" Matthew Modine's conversation and then giving the incredulous audience an improvised acting class based on Stella Adler's teaching. The festival will return for its 65th edition in June 2019, when the Greek Theatre will once again offer films at night in the spectacular setting of the 2300-year-old theatre. Taormina will be back in its splendor."

Lorena Luciano and Filippo Piscopo's It Will be Chaos took home the The Taormina Arte Award for Best Directing, while Debra Granik won The Taormina Arte Award for Best Screenplay for Leave No Trace. Nino Monteleone's Be Kind received a Special Mention, and Andrzej Jakimowski's Once upon a Time in November won the Taormina Arte Award for Best Film.

Congratulations to the 2018 Winners of the Taormina FilmFest Awards:

The Cirs Award of the Italian Social Reintegration Committee:

Road to the Lemon Grove by Dale Hildebrand - CANADA/ITALY - International Premiere

The Angelo D'Arrigo Award, presented by Laura Mancuso:

Dr. Pietro Bartolo, from Lampedusa

The Sebastiano Gesù Award, in memory of the Sicilian film critic who passed away earlier this month:

Luca Vullo Ccà Semu (30 mins) - ITALY

The Ferrari De Benedetti Award, presented by the journalist Paola Ferrari:

La Libertà non Deve Morire in Mare by Alfredo Lo Piero - ITALY - World Premiere

The Videobank Award, presented by Ginevra Chiechio:

Lello Analfino, leader of the historic Tinturia musical group

The Tauro d'Oro Award:

Maurizio Millenotti for the costumes of The Happy Prince

The Tauro d'Oro Lifetime Achievement Award:

Matthew Modine

The Tauro d'Oro Awards, for Best Director and Best Actor:

Rupert Everett for The Happy Prince

The Tauro d'Oro Award:

Richard Dreyfuss

The Tauro d'Oro Italian Excellence Award, for acting, directing and screenwriting:

Michele Placido

The Tauro d'Oro Best Independent Film Award:

Trauma is a Time Machine by Angelica Zollo - USA - European Premiere

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Producer:

Gianluca Curti

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Distributor:

SunFilm Group

Special Mention:

Be Kind by Nino Monteleone - ITALY - World Premiere

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Screenplay:

Leave No Trace by Debra Granik - USA - Italian Premiere

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Actor:

Alberto Mica in Transfert by Massimiliano Russo - ITALY - World Premiere

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Actress:

Leven Rambin in Tatterdemalion by Ramaa Mosley - USA - International Premiere

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Director:

It Will be Chaos by Filippo Piscopo and Lorena Luciana - USA/ITALY - International Premiere

The Taormina Arte Award for Best Film:

Once upon a Time in November by Andrzej Jakimowski - POLAND - International Premiere

The Jurors:

President and producer Martha de Laurentiis

Actor, director, producer Maria Grazia Cucinotta

Producer Donatella Palermo

Producer Eleonora Granata

Producer Adriana Chiesa

During its seven-day run, the festival welcomed a myriad of local and international special guests, including Rupert Everett, Richard Dreyfuss, Matthew Modine, Terry Gilliam, Maurizio Millenotti, Michele Placido, Sabina Guzzanti, Monica Guerritore, Ricky Tognazzi, Simona Izzo, Beppe Cino, Tony Sperandeo, Pietro Valsecchi, Michela Andreozzi, Martha de Laurentiis, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Adriana Chiesa, Dr. Pietro Bartolo and Maria Sole Tognazzi, among others.

ABOUT TAORMINA FILMFEST

The Taormina FilmFest is one of the oldest festivals in the world and takes place in a wonderful small seaside town on the eastern coast of Sicily, not far from the Etna volcano and some of the most beautiful Greek and Roman ruins still standing. The main evening events are celebrated in the Greek Theatre, a magnificent 5,000-seat and 2,300-year-old open air theatre. This year, the 64th edition is taking place between July 14-20, 2018.

In the history of cinema, there has never been a period as fertile as the season that Italian Cinema lived between the 50's and the beginning of the 70's. It was Italian cinema that created the French Nouvelle Vague (Truffaut and friends wanted to imitate the figures of Rossellini and Visconti), it was Italian cinema that changed the way in which cinema talks about itself (with 8 12 by Fellini). At the center of all this, there has been the Taormina FilmFest, a place of excellence that defined the film season. Taormina is a place where the David di Donatello and the Nastri D'argento Awards were first celebrated.

Almost every great actor, producer or director and many international stars have been on the stage of Teatro Antico, a magical and unique location-from Cary Grant to MARLON Brando, Charlton Heston and Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They have all been guests at the Festival in the same years of Mario Monicelli, Alessandro Gassman, Alberto Sordi and Monica Vitti. In more recent years, Robert De Niro, Oliver Stone, Jessica Lange, Michael Douglas, Colin Firth, Tom Cruise, among many others, have attended the festival.

The Taormina FilmFest has managed to survive in its 64 years of history all the mutations of cinema, and still today offers numerous film discoveries and one of the most beautiful outdoor theaters of the world, The Greek Theatre.