The whole thing is you’ve got to make them care about something (Frank Capra)

In the age of mass media, where the incessant flow of self-referential images dominates, a film festival should buck the trend. Contemporary society lives a contradiction. We can have instant access to any kind of content, and in the same time, we prefer summarisation or, even worse, to avoid deeper understanding. The cinema as a tool for fiction relies on an easy, central assertion: to tell is to feel empathically. There is no story to tell without the Other. Because the viewer empathises with the characters, within the vast universe of all the stories that can be invented, he/she can experience those patterns of emotions that otherwise would be lost. Stories are like bridges and paths, they are made of enthusiasm and passionate contrasts. They live in the opposites highlighting those differences which might be the start for new and exciting scenarios. Sulmona International Film Festival achieves its 36h edition, and the competition presents and explores worldwide short movies with all their peculiarities. Thirty-nine works will be presented: fifteen international shorts, nine national shorts, three documentaries, three animations, six music videos and, for the very first time, three shorts “made in Abruzzo”. The 2018 SIFF boasts seven hundred applicants from eighty different countries. This enhances the quality of the competition in terms of heterogeneity and technical virtuosity. Big themes will be presented by some innovative and vigilant perspectives, with high awareness of technics in cinema, and no use of rethorical approaches.
The category of short movie, that is still an outsider in the movie business, is a prolific field for directors of tomorrow’s promises. Some shorts like May Day, A Short Film About Education, Empty Lot, Techno, Wren Boys take the style from masters (Dardenne, Pablo Larraín, Michael Haneke, Hirokazu Kore’eda, Ken Loach) updating and enhancing it with original points of view. The 2018 SIFF edition stresses on the new generation of movie directors in this contemporary age of bewilderment. As in the past edition, an additional jury composed by young professional critics will give a further great contribution. Young talented critics confronting with the new generations of directors is one of SIFF ambitions. The jury will be exceptionally directed by Francesco Bruni, one of the most important Italian screenwriter of the last years. Three feature films will be presented:IN VIAGGIO CON ADELE directed by Alessandro Capitani: Adele (Sara Serraiocco) is a special girl. With no inhibitions, Adel collets Post-it notes to write down all her thoughts. The movie is a journey about loneliness and the need of love. LAZZARO FELICE directed by Alice Rohrwacher: a rural community is ruled by the marchioness Alfonsina de Luna (Nicoletta Braschi), also known as “Cigarettes Queen”. This is the story of a strict and ruthless boss taking advantage of her workers. IL BENE MIO directed by Pippo Mezzapesa: due to an earthquake in the village of Provvidenza, there are no locals anymore. Maria, a local teacher, and her student died under the rubble. Her husband Elia (Sergio Rubini) is the only one still alive, and still anchored in the past of his land.