Calabria Movie Film Festival 2025: Cinema, music, industry, and the future for the sixth edition in Crotone.

Four days of cinema, meetings, live music, and training to explore the new directions of contemporary audiovisual production. The Calabria Movie Film Festival returns to Crotone from July 28th to 31st., the festival dedicated to the best of short films, now in its sixth edition. The review, created by Luisa Gigliotti, Antonio Buscema and Matteo Russo It is included in the Crotone Summer 2025 summer program promoted by the Municipality of Crotone.

This year's protagonists will include, among others, Francesco Di Leva, Francesco Costabile, Gianluca Fru of the collective The Jackal, Violante Placido, Sarafine, Gemello, Martina Tinnirello, and many others. The jury, composed of actress Aurora Ruffino, production designer Gaspare De Pascali, director of photography Emilio M. Costa, and director and screenwriter Giacomo Triglia, will evaluate the entries. 14 short films in competition, from all over Italy and abroad, for a selection that explores the themes of identity, memory, and change. Actress Liliana Fiorelli will host the evenings for the second year in a row.

The mayor of Crotone, Vincenzo Voce, declared:: “We are proud to host the Calabria Movie Film Festival again this year, now in its sixth edition. This event represents not only a cultural event of great importance for our city, but also An extraordinary opportunity to promote the beauty of our region. The festival has become a reference point for film enthusiasts and industry professionals, helping to strengthen the link between culture, identity, and local development. I thank the organizers, volunteers, artists, and all those who, with passion and dedication, make this important event possible.”

The deputy mayor, Sandro Cretella, states:: “The Calabria Movie Film Festival is an extraordinary opportunity to enhance our city as a dynamic and inclusive cultural hub. Every year, this event engages younger generations, creating spaces for discussion, and generating a positive impact on tourism and the economy. As a municipal administration, We are happy to support this initiative that combines art, education and civic participation, helping to build an increasingly lively community attentive to contemporary expressions of cinematic language.. "

Added by the artistic direction: “Year after year, Calabria Movie is growing thanks to a vibrant, curious, and ever-growing community. This sixth edition is the most ambitious ever: we wanted to invest in the industry, emerging talent, and the transformative power of cinema., not only as an artistic language but as a tool for connecting people, territories, and visions. Bringing the future of cinema to Crotone is not just a challenge, it's a promise."

The official selection presents a mosaic of powerful and original visions. The 14 short films in competition address crucial themes such as identity, relationships, social inequalities, memory, and transformation.Featured titles in the National & International section include:

• “There's milk to buy” by Pierfrancesco Bigazzi, delicate reflection on dignity and daily poverty;
• “Love and chewing gum” by Arianna Di Stefano, on adolescence and female desire;
• “Spine” by Kristina Panova, powerful visual metaphor about trauma and healing;
• “Majoneze” by Giulia Grandinetti, ironic provocation on gender identity;
• “Transhumance” by Giovanni Bertoia, homage to the endangered rural culture;
• There is also space for animation, the surreal and experimentation, with works such as “Pinocchio Reborn” by Matteo Cirillo;
• “The Procedure” by Chico Noras;
• “Lovers' story: fragment(s)” by Marta Irene Giotti;
• “Adia” by Alberto De Simone talks about return and migration;
• “Where You Are Missing” by Mauro Lamanna explores absence and mourning;
• “Waiting for Dawn” by Giovanni Carpanzano it is a symbolic hymn to rebirth;
• Out of competition we find “Lucciole” by Pietro Pedrazzoli, suspended between drama and thriller, tells the story of story of a metamorphosis: from man to animal, and from animal to man.

A brand new feature of the sixth edition is The Industry Club, a professional and creative hub for writers, directors, and producers of film and audiovisual media. Designed for young authors, directors, and producers, as well as those already working in the industry, it serves as a training laboratory for exchange and discussion between new voices and established professionals.

The only business event in Calabria dedicated to the audiovisual sector, The Industry Club represents a concrete opportunity to generate ideas, develop projects, and create direct connections with the market. An innovative format, structured into 5 days of intensive training, 1 day of networking with over 15 industrial companies and finally an exclusive Pitching Day by the sea on July 31st, where the 18 selected projects will be presented to producers, broadcasters and decision makers.

The format is divided into Shorts to Future (from shorts to first works); Calabria Showcase (feature films related to the territory) and finally Pitch My Series (TV series from all over Italy, of all genres. In past editions, The Industry Club has supported over 20 projects in development, some of which have now entered production thanks to the support of the Calabria Film Commission. Among the decision makers of this edition: Martina Anselmeti of Kino Produzioni, Flora Ciccarelli of Colorado, Davide Cogni of CrossProduction, GiuliaRosa D'Amico of Mompracem, Angelo Florio of Mediaset Fiction, Martina Migliorini of Viola Film, Federica Pezzullo of Rai Fiction, Simone Ruocco of Notorious, Flaminia Scarpino of WildSide.

The edition officially starts at 10.30 am, at the Antica Kroton Hub, with the first day of Shorts to Future, the training course dedicated to six selected emerging authorsMaurizio Amendola will lead them in the inaugural mentoring session, in a meeting reserved for participants but also open to the accredited public, thus marking the beginning of the festival's Industry programme.

In the afternoon, at 18.30:XNUMX pm at Baiacabana, the talk Behind the scenes: Visions and spaces will take place. The speaker at the event will be Gaspare De Pascali, who will lead a reflection on the relationship between cinematic language and visual space, offering a privileged glimpse behind the scenes of filmmaking.

The evening will liven up starting at 20.30pm in the Villa Comunale, the heart of the screenings and meetings with the public. Host Liliana Fiorelli introduces the special screening of Francesco Costabile's film "Familia," in the presence of the director and actor Francesco Di Leva, who recently won the David di Donatello Award for Best Supporting Actor for this performance.

The film, an intense dark melodrama, sensitively addresses the issues of domestic violence – both psychological and physical – and the fragility of welfare systems, offering a raw and powerful glimpse into contemporary family distress. The event is part of the "Panorama Italia" section, which every year offers significant feature films of contemporary cinema. To conclude the first evening, the out-of-competition screening of the short film Lucciole by Pietro Pedrazzoli.

At 10:30 we return to the Antica Kroton Hub for the second day of Shorts to Future., with a new mentoring session led by Marco Mingolla. In the afternoon, at 18.30 pm, at Baiacabana, space will be given to the world of serials with FocuseriesPesci Piccoli 2, a talk with Frù (The Jackal) and actress Martina Tinnirello moderated by journalist Chiara Del Zanno. The competition screenings begin at 20.30:XNUMX pm.We begin with C'è da comprare il latte by Pierfrancesco Bigazzi (17 min), Love and Chewing Gum by Arianna Di Stefano (13 min), The Procedure by Chico Noras (11 min), Oro e Contanti by Luca Buzzi (19 min), and Laddove Manchi by Mauro Lamanna (15 min). This will be followed by a talk with guests Frù and Martina Tinnirello, joined by Sarafine and Gaspare De Pascali. At midnight, the event moves to the Anima Beach Club with the Cult x Calabria Movie party., enlivened by Sarafine's DJ set.

The third day opens at 10:30 am at the Antica Kroton Hub, with the third Shorts to Future meeting. This time the mentoring will be entrusted to Aaron Ariotti. At 18.30:XNUMX pm, meet at Baiacabana with the masterclass “Nice To Meet You” Hosted by actress Violante Placido, who will discuss her artistic journey and her experiences in film, music, and theater.

The evening continues at 21pm at the Villa Comunale, always presented by Liliana Fiorelli, with screenings of the short films in competition: One More Night by Carmelo Segreto (20 min), Pinocchio Reborn by Matteo Cirillo (12 min), Despite Everything by Simone Guarany (11 min), Lovers' Story: Fragment(s) by Marta Irene Giotti (20 min), and Waiting for Dawn by Giovanni Carpanzano (10 min), competing in the Short Film section in Calabria. Guests of the evening: Violante Placido, Aurora Ruffino, and Emilio M. Costa.

The final day kicks off at 10 a.m. at Lido degli Scogli with The Industry Club's Pitching Day, a key event where the 18 selected authors will present their projects to producers, broadcasters, and decision makers. Event reserved for accredited attendees only. At 16 pm, again at Lido degli Scogli, the Calabria Film Commission Foundation will be speaking with the producers present during the Cinema and Territorial Development meeting.

At 18.30:XNUMX pm, at Baiacabana, the talk “For the Women” will take place featuring Liliana Fiorelli, Francesca Zimatore, Giulia Rosa, Vincenza Gallo, and Luisa Gigliotti, in collaboration with Mujeres Nel Cinema, Kairos, and DonnexStrada. At 21pm at the Villa Comunale, the last screenings in competition: Transumanza by Giovanni Bertoia (15 min), Majoneze by Giulia Grandinetti (22 min), Spine by Kristina Panova (15 min) and Adia by Alberto De Simone (14 min), the latter competing in the Short section in Calabria. The awards ceremony will follow. At midnight, the grand finale will be It's a Wrap Party at Mara Kalos, featuring a live performance by Gemello.

There will also be a space dedicated to children, with CineKids, an area designed for children and families that will be set up in the Villa Comunale as a real miniature cinema village. The program includes daily screenings of a selection of Italian and international animated short films, chosen to stimulate the imagination and curiosity of young people.

The area will feature themed children's face painting inspired by great cinema characters, and a VR experience designed to let visitors experience the magic of the seventh art firsthand. The project , created in collaboration with Kairos Società Cooperativa and DaMe It was created with the aim of introducing new generations to the language of cinema, stimulating their imagination and creativity from an early age (recommended age: 4 to 12 years old)..

This edition's cover is by Antonio Aricò, an internationally renowned Calabrian designer. The poster features a vibrantly colored pop Medusa, combining naive style and Mediterranean culture. The artwork pays homage to Magna Graecia and symbolizes Calabrian identity in a contemporary key. Aricò also designed the official merchandise, produced by Naffintusi Srl. This year, too, the award for best direction - that It consists of a precious sculpture depicting the Calabria region in 24-karat gold – is made by the goldsmith and sculptor Antonio Affidato.