The second edition of the International Catholic Film Festival, took place from Wednesday, 11th of May to Friday, 21st of May and was held at the Vatican’s Auditorium, Via della Conciliazione in Rome.
The event started with the intention of giving space to producers and filmmakers, documentaries, docu-fiction, TV series, short films and programs that promote universal moral values and positive models. This year a new award was added, for the best debut. Two films were in competition:
-L’uomo del grano by Giancarlo Baudena
-La città invisibile by Giuseppe Tandoi
The films in competition, selected from a total of 746, have a common element: they promote universal moral values and positive models. The list was presented during the press conference.
The Mission of the Festival
The International Catholic Film Festival is independent, conceived and created by Liana Marabini, under the high patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and aims to show the Church from a new perspective: glamour and tradition at the same time.
Mirabile Dictu (Wonderful to Relate, in Latin) is a privileged place of encounter for actors, directors, and film makers, gathered by the concern they may have for the history and the values of the Church.
The President of the Festival, Liana Marabini, is a producer, director and publisher. She consecrates her work to the history of the Church, and is particularly concerned by the religious language and communication, something that emerges in the films she produces and the books she publishes.
Awards
The prize of the festival, “Il Pesce d’Argento” (The Silver Fish, in Italian), is inspired by the first Christian symbol. 5 prizes were awarded to the films in competition, and also a Lifetime Achievement Award to the actor Remo Girone.
These were the categories:
– Best Film
– Best Documentary
– Best Short Film
– Best Main Actress / Actor
– Best Director
– Lifetime Achievement Award
The Jury and the Honor Committee
The award ceremony took place on May 19th during a gala dinner, and was presented by the writer Valerio Massimo Manfredi.
The jury, chaired by Andrea Piersanti, was chosen based on the deep relationship with the Catholic world and was composed by Monsignor Franco Perazzolo, Princess Maria Pia Ruspoli, the producer Carlo Degli Esposti (Palomar Productions), and the scenographer Gianni Quaranta (Oscar winner for the film Camera con vista).
The Honor Committee, chaired by the Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, was composed by Andrea Tornielli, Mauro Marabini, Irene Pivetti, Claudio Scimone, Prince Sforza Ruspoli, Baroness Mariuccia Zerilli Marimò and Prof. Antonino Zichichi.
The Anthology Days 2011
The high quality and the extraordinary content of the films screened during six days of anthology, were of great interest.
On the 12th of May the day was dedicated to “Jesus Christ in the Cinema”, while on May 13th we watched the films inspired by the theme “The Priest in the Collective Imaginary”: both days were organized by Alberto Di Giglio. Some masterpieces were screened, as Christus by Giulio Antamoro, presented by Monsignor Marco Frisina, author of the new music and I Confess by Alfred Hichcock – Presented by Italo Moscati.
May 16th was dedicated to the short films; on May 18th three films selected by Carlo Tagliabue from very promising directors were screened.
On May 17th we watched Pius XII as the protagonist of two films interpreted by himself, and made available to the Festival by the Vatican Film Library.
Finally, May 19th was dedicated to the movies of Remo Girone.
Mirabile Dictu SRL.
Via del Castello, 1-14010 Cortazzone (Asti) – Partita Iva 01449500055
Phone: 0039-331-8000 998; Internet: www.mirabiledictu-icff.com; E-mail: info@mirabiledictu-icff.com