Skopje, 4 October 2023 (MIA) - More than 550 participants from nine countries are set to participate in the 11th edition of the “Giffoni Macedonia” Youth Film Festival in Skopje. The festival will take place October 5-10, at the Youth Cultural Center (MKC), the Cinematheque and Millennium Cinema, where attendees will be able to watch films, participate in workshops and discussions.

Giuseppe Bonito’s L'Arminuta  will open the festival at the Milenium Cinema on Thursday. The film is based on Donatella Di Pietrantonio’s novel. 

Festival director Darko Basheski told a press conference on Wednesday that this year the festival will host 40 participants from Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and France.

"We are coming back with full steam and crowded halls because seats were already reserved two-three weeks ago. We expect full attendance and a normal festival filled with life to the delight of our youngest," Basheski said.

He added that this year there will be fifteen feature-length films, divided into three categories: cadets (VI to IX grade - elementary school), juniors (I and II year - high school) and seniors (III and IV years - high school). In addition, 46 short films, documentaries and animated films will be screened, with most of them made by young people around the world.

Participants will have the chance to meet and take part in discussions with director Dina Duma (seniors), Russian director Oleg Assadulin (juniors) and Serbian director Miona Ilov (cadets).

Nine workshops will be held, including three for juniors and six for cadets and seniors.

The festival will introduce a new segment - EPYC Short Film Awards, a project to promote peace through creativity with young people, supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, whose goal is to contribute to the stabilization of the region and support the EU accession processes.

As part of the eleventh edition of “Giffoni Macedonia”, EPYC includes a series of activities aimed at promoting peace, European values and human rights through film, art, culture and active youth participation in creating film and artistic achievements that have the power to send messages of peace to the public.

As part of the EPYC program, seventeen short movies will be competing for three awards, two panel discussions will be held with representatives from children and youth film festivals from around the region.

The program also includes two new short films by young Macedonian authors, a presentation on fake news and fact-checking by “Metamorphosis”, and a meeting with the founders of the “Filmthusiast” band.

The festival's program director, Dea Krstevska Tamborini, said the Greek-Italian documentary film “The Students of Umberto Primo” will also be shown on Monday.

"The film is the result of 20 years of research on what happened during the prosecution of Jews from Greece. Young Macedonian filmmakers will also make guest appearances to showcase their latest works, while Metamorphosis' presentation will help young people learn how to recognize fake news and defend themselves against everything that is marketed to them through fake news, and learn how to better navigate the Internet," Krstevska Tamborini said.

The festival will close on October 10 at the Millennium Cinema by announcing the winners, including those from the EPYC Short Film Awards, in addition to the creations and stage performances created by the participants of the creative workshops.

“Giffoni Macedonia” Youth Film Festival is supported by Giffoni Experience from Italy, the Film Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia, the City of Skopje, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Youth Cultural Center (MKC), the Italian Embassy in Skopje and other institutions and private supporters. ssh/nn/

Photo: MIA