Umbria Cinema Festival: 3rd edition is scheduled in Todi from 21 to 23 July 2023

The third edition of the Umbria Cinema Festival, which returns to Todi from 21 to 23 July, was presented in Rome:

ten Italian films in competition, many guests including Edoardo Leo, Gabriele Muccino, Daniele Luchetti, Matt Dillon, Rocco Papaleo and Giorgia

Rome, 7 July 2023 - The third edition of Umbria Cinema, the Festival that will animate the squares of Todi from 21 to 23 July 2023, is about to kick off. The initiative is promoted by the Umbria Region and the Municipality of Todi, with artistic director Paolo Genovese, president of the Umbria Film Commission.

The programme of the Festival was presented to the press on Friday 7 July at Rome’s Barberini cinema by Paolo Genovese, and by the councillor for Culture and Tourism of the Umbria Region, Paola Agabiti. The mayor of Todi, Antonino Ruggiano, brought greetings.

The meeting was also attended by the Mayor of Deruta, Michele Toniaccini, to present the exhibition UGO di NOI - 101 anni di Ugo Tognazzi, which will be inaugurated in September, and the deputy mayor of Todi, Claudio Ranchicchio.

In the panorama of Italian events dedicated to the cinema, Umbria Cinema stands out for being exclusively dedicated to Italian cinema, telling its story on and off the screen.

This year's programme features ten Italian films in competition and some previews of films and docufilms. Guests include Edoardo Leo, Gabriele Muccino, Francesco Scianna, Rocco Papaleo, Daniele Luchetti, Giacomo Ferrara, Stefano Fresi, and Giulio Base, international star Matt Dillon, and one of Italy's best-loved singers, Giorgia.

"At this time, bringing cinema among the people is extremely important," said artistic director Paolo Genovese. "Bringing the public closer to those who tell stories is a way of making culture and knowledge of our cinematography. Getting to know and meet the protagonists of our cinema makes it possible to understand how much work and passion there is behind every single film, and it is certainly one of the ways to bring the public closer to the cinema".

"This year's Umbria Cinema Festival represents a turning point and marks a new look for an event that exalts cinema, culture and entertainment in our region," said Paola Agabiti, councillor for Culture and Tourism of the Umbria Region. "Under the direction of Paolo Genovese and with the collaboration of Angelo Mellone, artistic director of UmbriaLibri, the new format aims at defining itself as a precise occasion to celebrate the art of cinema in all its forms, writing a new page in the account that Umbria gives of the film production of the last year, combined with the memory of artists who have marked our cinema with their work. In addition, thanks to the synergy with UmbriaLibri intertwined with the 50th anniversary of UmbriaJazz, which has a dedicated moment, the cultural mission of the festival is strengthened, capable of opening its doors to new ideas and new opportunities for encounters, widening its view to different realities and original cultural viewpoints. Todi's Piazza del Popolo thus returns," concluded the councillor, "to serve as the setting for a unique event in Umbrian entertainment that will certainly contribute in this new edition to confirming our region as a 'place' of art that is increasingly becoming a privileged destination for national and international tourism.”

Todi Mayor Antonino Ruggiano said that "the choice of Todi as the setting for the Umbria Cinema Festival allows a city with a millenary history like ours to add further value to its already rich cultural offer.

“Although only in its third edition, the event has already managed to conquer its own space and identity in the panorama of Italian film events, making Todi a 'film town’: as the festival venue, certainly, but also as a privileged location for new productions, thanks to the recent work of the Region and the Umbria Film Commission. This is a great opportunity for tourism promotion and growth of the territory that Todi intends to enhance in the years to come.”

The ten films in competition will be screened at the Cinema Nido dell'Aquila during the three-day event, 21-22-23 July, and will compete for five prizes: Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Director.

This year’s Jury is chaired by Angelo Mellone, Director of Rai’s Intrattenimento Day Time and Director of UmbriaLibri.

In this edition we find in the Competition the following Italian titles that have won critical and public acclaim:

• SCORDATO from Rocco Papaleo;
• L’ULTIMA NOTTE D’AMORE from Andrea Di Stefano;
• GRAZIE RAGAZZI from Riccardo Milani;
• MIA from Ivano De Matteo;
• NOSTALGIA from Mario Martone;
• LA STRANEZZA from Roberto Andò;
• STRANIZZA D’AMURI from Beppe Fiorello;
• LA QUATTORDICESIMA DOMENICA DEL TEMPO ORDINARIO from Pupi Avati;
• IL SIGNORE DELLE FORMICHE from Gianni Amelio;
• VICINI DI CASA di Paolo Costella.

On the evenings of the event, as per tradition, the Festival will also embrace the city centre of Todi in Piazza del Popolo.

www.umbriacinemafestival.it

(press release issued by Agenzia Umbria Notizie)