The world is changing, but some values remain universal and know no obstacles. The love for culture, respect for people and for the environment, the desire to learn about diversity and develop critical thinking: Giffoni Macedonia Youth Film Festival is ready for its eighth edition with a "widespread" program that will connect jurors, cinema and ideas with the help of on online platforms.
The event is scheduled from 25 to 30 September in Skopje (North Macedonia). The project is co-financed by the National Agency for Cinema of North Macedonia, by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities - Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual, by the Macedonian Department of Culture, supported by the Embassy of Italy in Skopje and organized by Giffoni Opportunity together with the Planet M Association.
The formula of the event follows the path of what has already been experienced during the first leg of #Giffoni50: the jury made up of over 200 children divided into three categories - juniors (from 10 to 14 years), cadets (from 14 to 16 years) and seniors (ages 16 to 19) – will be joined by Macedonian and foreign hubs. 60 jurors will be called to represent the various international delegations, of which 15 are Italian live from the Sale Blu and Verde of the Giffoni Multimedia Valley. Divided between cadets and seniors, Simona Arciello, Nicola Bottiglieri, Andrea Brancaccio, Gabriella Casciello, Anna Di Muro, Giacomo Gabola, Paolo Giannattasio, Racheleantonia Russo, Mario Marcello Cesaro, Nicola Di Meo, Francesco Gabola, Giulia Mancino, Clarissa Russomando, Daniela Senatore and Giacomo Vassallo will have the task of seeing and voting for the films in competition, participating in the masterclasses and talking with their peers. Also participating are jurors from Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Spain, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
The new digital platform http://youth.mk/ was developed for this special edition and will remain in operation even after the festival to allow children to continue talking, offering a metaphysical place for meeting, reflection and promotion of cinema.
Another novelty is the VIRTUAL HOSPITALITY: hospitality has always been one of the founding values of Giffoni, opening the doors of one's home means creating an exchange and a lasting bond. A precious experience capable of adapting to the times: the 60 international jurors, in fact, will be joined by as many Macedonian jurors ready to act as “hosts” and guide the young people to discover this new edition.
The opening night is scheduled for 7pm on Friday 25 September at the open-air cinema of the National Film Library of North Macedonia. The inauguration will be attended, in connection from the Multimedia Valley, by the director of Giffoni Opportunity Claudio Gubitosi, the director of Giffoni Macedonia Darko Basheski and the ambassador of Italy in Skopje Carlo Romeo.
During the event, the first film in competition by the Italian director Stefano Cipani, MIO FRATELLO RINCORRE I DINOSAURI, winner of the European Young Audience Award 2020, of the David di Donatello 2020 in the children's film category and of the first edition of School Experience in the Feature Experience section, the traveling festival promoted by Miur and Mibact and organized by Giffoni Opportunity.
Two other Italian feature films are also in competition: LA GUERRA DI CAM by Laura Muscardin and WONDER WHEN YOU'LL MISS ME by Francesco Fei, in addition to the international works HONEY AND CREAM by Onur Tan (Turkey), ROCCA CHANGES THE WORLD by Katja Benrath ( Germany), THE WITCH HUNTERS by Rasko Miljkovic (Serbia / Macedonia), DANIEL '16 by Dimitris Koutsiabasakos (Greece), YOUNG JULIETTE by Anne Émond (France), LIFE WITHOUT SARA AMAT by Laura Jou (Spain), MAN UP! by Benjamin Parent (France), LOVECUT by Iliana Estañol, Johanna Lietha (Germany) and OUR LADY OF THE NILE by Atiq Rahimi (France).
Twenty-four short films, among them the Italians SANSONE by Chiara Centioni, LUCE & ME by Isabella Salvetti, U SCANTU by Daniele Suraci, GREEN PINOCCHIO by Marta Miniucchi, FAME by Giuseppe Alessio Nuzzo, SULLE PUNTE by Ulisse Lendaro, OSPITE by Chiara Rapisarda, L’ORO DI FAMIGLIA by Emanuele Pisano, IL VESTITO by Maurizio Ravallese, and the international titles SILENT MOVIE by Melo Viana (Brazil), BOJE by Andreas Cordes and Robert Köhler (Germany), TRACES by Pins Sébastien (Belgium), HEAVEN OF CHILDREN by Amir Masoud Soheili (Indonesia), BETTER THAN NEIL ARMSTRONG by Alireza Ghasemi (Iran), AUREMBIAIX by Daniel Carnicé Bernaus (Spain), BAMBILAND by Danilo Stanimirović (Serbia), SUIT UP! by Jiamin ”Kino” Wu (United States), THE WITCH & THE BABY by Evgenia Golubeva (Russia), NESTLING by Marat Valerievich Narimanov (Russia), MY TAGALONG by Jerry Wang (Canada), LISTEN PAPA! by Olga Poliektova and Tatiana Poliektova (Russia), HEAT WAVE by Fokion Xenos (Greece), ROBERT THE ROBOT by Jonathan Irwin (UK), ECHO by Barzan Rostami (Iran).
Not just screenings: masterclasses and afternoon meetings are also scheduled in which children can take part by connecting online. The webinars will be streamed live and also open to the public. While the masterclass of the director of Giffoni Opportunity is scheduled for Monday 28 September, at 5 pm.
"The activity of Giffoni Opportunity in Macedonia - underlines the director, Claudio Gubitosi - follows the path undertaken in 2013 to involve the Balkan area in an educational and cultural project that grows year after year. In Macedonia we have found a fantastic reality, girls and boys very well prepared and with active participation, cultural organizations, local and national institutions that immediately gathered around the event and today are the absolute protagonists. Today, with even more conviction, Giffoni Macedonia is ready to adapt to the needs of the time, responding to the needs of the children and reaching them right into their rooms".
Finally, the closing ceremony on Wednesday 30 September with the announcement of the winning films and the screening of the works produced by the students during the creative workshops.
"We are aware that this year will be missing what is probably the most important part of the spirit of Giffoni Macedonia - explains Darko Basheski - being together, having fun, sharing the creations of the workshops. However, we have tried to bring the kids at least a little joy through cinema, to spur their creativity with workshops, allowing them to share these moments with their peers from 12 countries who will virtually participate in the festival and watch the films together on the platform".
The program director, Dea Krstevska echoes him: “Our jurors know that Giffoni is a place where eternal friendships and great ideas are born. We do not pretend to teach young people anything, we simply offer them a place, information and tools so that they can develop their ideas and become creative, aware and responsible adults, capable of great actions, in any area of life, because as we know, what starts in Giffoni improves the world".
