Festa del Cinema di Mare in Castiglione della Pescaia

From 24 to 28 August, the event dedicated to films about the sea directed by Giovanni Veronesi returns

Actor and director Carlo Verdone is the guest of honour at the 7th edition of the Festa del Cinema di Mare - Mauro Mancini Award, to be held in Castiglione della Pescaia from 24 to 28 August. Directing it will be, for the second year, Tuscan director and screenwriter Giovanni Veronesi, a Pratese with Castiglione della Pescaia in his heart, who in 2021 took over the baton from its creator and founder, Corriere della Sera critic Claudio Carabba, who passed away in November 2020. Here our latest interview with the screenwriter and director.

Giovanni Veronesi

The event was established in 2016 with the aim of promoting quality cinema in the Maremma area and dedicating a cultural initiative to man's relationship with the sea, as told by the films - documentaries, fiction, animation and shorts - of yesterday and today.

Since the second edition, held in 2018, again at the wish of the founder and artistic director Claudio Carabba, the festival has been enriched by the Mauro Mancini Award, for European short films on the theme of the sea, a prize named after the La Nazione journalist and navigator, who died dramatically at sea during an adventure with Ambrogio Fogar, who has always been closely linked to Castiglione della Pescaia and its sea. Thirty short films were submitted to the event, which will be assessed by a jury of experts, chaired by Giovanni Veronesi.

Festival del Cinema del Mare

As of 2019, there is also the Guido Parigi Special Prize, for the best short film with a journalistic slant, dedicated to the memory of another great journalist from La Nazione, awarded by a jury of students from Grosseto high schools, coordinated by an expert. This year, the girls and boys of the 'Redazione Giovani' will make up the jury, coordinated by Alessio Brizzi. The youngsters will also choose a number of short films by authors under 40 that will be screened during the days of the festival.

Guido Parigi Bini

From 24 to 28 August, in the heart of Castiglione della Pescaia, the Festa del Cinema di Mare will feature evening screenings at the Cinema Castello and afternoon screenings of documentaries at the 'Italo Calvino' Library, where three short films chosen by the 'Redazione Giovani' will also be screened. The evening films will be preceded by some short films in competition for the Mancini and Paris Prizes. Journalist Piera De Tassis will interview the guests in the afternoon meetings.

Many guests are expected in Castiglione della Pescaia, together with Carlo Verdone, confirming a festival that dedicates a lot of attention to the quality of the artists who intervene, to talk about their cinema and to meet the public. In previous editions, actors, directors and personalities linked to the sea have been guests of the festival, including Gianni Amelio, Marco Tullio Giordana, Paolo Virzì, Elio Germano, Giuseppe Cederna, Violante Placido and Brando Quilici.

Elio Germano