Taormina Film Fest
Director Joel Schumacher at Taormina Film Fest in 2003
LocationTaormina, Italy
LanguageInternational
Websitetaorminafilmfestival.com

Taormina Film Fest (TFF) is an annual Italian film festival that takes place at Taormina, Sicily, Italy in July. It was established in 1955 in Messina, and in 1957 became Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina, until it moved permanently to Taormina in 1971. It had a succession of names before adopting its current name.

The festival stages the annual Nastro d'Argento (Silver Ribbon) film awards.

History

The festival was established in Messina, Sicily, in 1955, and in 1957 grew to include Taormina,[1] at the same time introducing the "Cariddi d'Argento" (Silver Charybdis) awards.[2] It was then named the Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina[3][4]

From 1957 to 1980 it hosted the the David di Donatello film awards, named after Donatello's statue of David.

In 1970 the Festival internazionale del cinema di Taormina was created, and since 1971 the festival has usually been held in the Teatro Antico (Ancient Theatre) in Taormina.[2] Also in 1970, the inaugural Gran Premio delle Nazioni was awarded, in that year to Sydney Pollack.[2]

From 1981, the top three films were awarded gold, silver and bronze Cariddi, and another award, the Maschere di Polifemo (gold, silver, and bronze) was created for the best interpretations. In 1984 the Nastri d'Argento (Silver Ribbons) were introduced.[2]

In 1983 the festival was renamed Taormina FilmFest (as part of Taormina Arte).[2] Enrico Ghezzi, director from 1991 to 1998, renamed the show TaoFest, and in 1997 he held it in the convention building in Taormina under the name XXVII Festival internazionale del cinema di Taormina.[2] From 2002 it became the Taormina BNL Film Fest,[5] sponsored by the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro.[6][7] However, BNL dropped its €500,000 sponsorship before the 2006 event, much to director Felice Laudadio's disgust at the late decision, taken in January. In 2006 the festival had to run without its international competition, and cancel invitations to the more expensive stars.[8]

Over the years Taormina Film Fest has hosted over the years many stars of international cinema: Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Tom Cruise, Melanie Griffith, and Antonio Banderas, among others.[2]

Art directors

  • Arturo Arena (1955)
  • Michele Ballo (1956 - 1968)
  • Giuseppe Campione (1969 - 1970)
  • Gian Luigi Rondi (1971 - 1980)
  • Guglielmo Biraghi (1981 - 1990)
  • Enrico Ghezzi (1991-1998)
  • Felice Laudadio (1999-2006)
  • Deborah Young (2007-2011)
  • Mario Sesti (2012-2016)
  • Felice Laudadio (2017)
  • Gianvito Casadonte e Silvia Bizio (2018-2019)
  • Leo Gullotta e Francesco Calogero (2020-?)

Awards

Separate from the Nastro d'Argento, the festival also awards other prizes:[2]

  • Taormina Arte Award (previously Cariddi d'Oro)
  • Premio Cariddi Taormina FilmFest
  • Premio Kineo Taormina FilmFest (special prize)

Past recipients

Honours

Awards

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ He won also Taormina Arte Award in 2001.

References

  1. ↑ "Taormina film fest…69 years old". TaorminaFilmFest.eu (in Italian). 29 April 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The international event of Taormina Film Fest". Scent of Sicily. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina". Portale Turismo e Cultura (in Italian). Città Metropolitana di Messina. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "Taormina (Messina), 5.a Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale". Galleria L'Image (in Italian). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  5. ↑ Rodier, Melanie (31 January 2002). "Revamped Taormina festival hires Steve Klain". Screen Daily. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Taormina BNL Film Fest 2005". Cinecittà News (in Italian). 6 June 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "Taormina BNL FilmFest, 13-20 giugno 2004" (PDF). BNL.
  8. ↑ "Taormina to kick off without a sponsor". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 20 May 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  9. ↑ She won also Nastro d'Argento in 2000.
  10. ↑ He won also Taormina Arte Award in 2002.
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