The thunderous applause for "a beautiful Italian story" and the enthusiasm of 500 giffoners for an adventure ready to begin its journey: the first stage of Italia Experience kicked off yesterday, on the occasion of the 10th edition of the Giffoni Macedonia Youth Film Festival. The initiative is co-financed on the Italian side by the Ministry of Culture - Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual and for North Macedonia by the National Agency for Cinema, also supported by the Italian Embassy in Skopje and the Italian Institute of Culture in Belgrade, and is organized by the Ente Autonomo Giffoni Experience with the association Planet M.
Kicking off the activities from the stage of Cinema Millenium were Italian Ambassador to Skopje Andrea Silvestri, Giffoni general manager Jacopo Gubitosi, Giffoni Macedonia director Darko Basheski and festival program director Dea Krstevska. During the opening ceremony, all the novelties and the festival program were presented. This edition will run until October 10 and will be strongly linked to the promotion and enhancement of Italian culture and cinema both in Europe and around the world, fostering dialogue among young people from different countries. The ceremony went on with the screening of the documentary film "Giffoni – Una bella storia italiana" (Giffoni – A beautiful Italian story), followed by the feature film "Italo", an Italian comedy written and directed by Alessia Scarso.
Together we are finally opening a special festival, which has come to celebrate a milestone anniversary - these were the words of Italian Ambassador to Skopje Andrea Silvestri. Giffoni Macedonia has been a winning experiment, an example that should be exported all over Europe and the world, and it has become a great opportunity for all participants to grow, to boost their personalities and to further develop a critical and artistic sense.
As we celebrate the opening of this important edition, we also celebrate a victory for two nations, Italy and North Macedonia, and most importantly a victory for the thousands of young people who have been the real protagonists of this event over its first decade, said Giffoni general manager Jacopo Gubitosi. 10 years ago, Giffoni creator and founder Claudio Gubitosi envisioned a Giffoni hub right here in Skopje, allowing so many boys and girls to approach cinema, to meet and grow together. The result is there for all to see: today this festival is pivotal in national cultural activities and strongly acknowledged in the city of Skopje.
The format. The jury will consist of 500+ young people from North Macedonia, grouped into three categories: juniors (10 to 14 years old), cadets (14 to 16 years old) and seniors (16 to 19 years old) who will be able to meet with peers from Italy, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ireland, Romania and Poland. The delegation of giffoners includes Nicola Bottiglieri, Andrea Brancaccio, Gabriella Casciello, Mario Marcello Cesaro, Nicola Di Meo, Francesco Gabola, Giacomo Gabola, Paolo Giannattasio, Giulia Mancino, Clarissa Russomando, and Daniela Senatore, accompanied by Giusi Rago and Marta Frasca from the Jury team, as well as Elena Scisci from the Giffoni team. Once again this year, the Italian Embassy in Skopje has confirmed its support. The Embassy too will be involved in the organization of the event Italian Comics Day, an entire day dedicated to Italian comics that will feature Bonelli Editore cartoonists Alessandro Bilotta and Sergio Gerasi as guests from Italy. An exhibition by both cartoonists, who will also hold a masterclass, will be set up at the MKC Youth Cultural Center. The focus of the event is the promotion of Italian cinema and culture in the world: on October 8, artists Roberto Ghezzi and Antonio Massarutto will present a project they developed in North Macedonia that combines art and nature. They will be also curating an exhibition that will take place in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje. Moreover, there will be room to showcase the talent of young people: the first TV series to be produced and realized in North Macedonia by young authors, including many giffoners who are pursuing a career in the film industry, will be presented.
During the closing ceremony, which will be held on Monday, October 10, the winning films will be announced and the works produced by the young people attending creative workshops will be presented.
