09/04/2015 - For its 16th edition, the festival’s guests of honour will be Bertrand Tavernier, Fatih Akin, Milena Vukotic and Paola Cortellesi. There will be 10 European films in competition

After announcing this year’s “protagonists of European cinema”, directors Bertrand Tavernier (see news article) and Fatih Akin (see news article) a few days ago, the Lecce European Film Festival completes its line-up of guests of honour with actresses Milena Vukotic and Paola Cortellesi, chosen as the “protagonists of Italian cinema” for the 16^th edition of the festival, which will take place from 13 to 18 April, directed as always by Alberto La Monica and Cristina Soldano. Opening this year’s Salento-based festival, the programme for which was revealed yesterday in Rome, is the European premiere of WAX – We are the X [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Lorenzo Corvino’s first film, a generational on-the-road thriller about the adventures of three young people invited to the Principality of Monaco to shoot an advert, with a well-rounded international cast that includes Rutger Hauer and Jean-Marc Barr. 

Turning to the official competition, ten European feature films will be competing for the Golden Olive Tree Award, and will be presented by their respective directors in their Italian premieres. They are: Austrian film Superworld [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Karl Markovics
film profile] by Karl Markovics, Danish film Key House Mirror [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Noer
film profile] by Michael Noer, Insecure [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marianne Tardieu
film profile] by first-time French director Marianne Tardieu, Daughters [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by German filmmaker Maria Speth, Greek psychological thriller Anemistiras by Dimitri Bitos, Polish film Hardkor Disko [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Krzysztof Skonieczny
film profile] by Krzysztof Skonieczny, Russian film Correction Class [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ivan I Tverdovsky
film profile] by Ivan Tverdovsky, Spanish noir film Magical Girl [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Carlos Vermut
film profile] by Carlos Vermut, and finally, My Skinny Sister [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sanna Lenken
film profile] by Sanna Lenken (Sweden) and Song of My Mother [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Erol Mintaş
film profile] by Erol Mintas (Turkey). In addition to the Golden Olive Tree, the jury, formed of director Pappi Corsicato, screenwriter Francesca Marciano and film critic Bruno Torri will award a cash prize of €5,000, the Special Jury Award, the Best Photography Award and the Best Screenplay Award. The films will also be competing for the Fipresci Jury Award, the Cineuropa Award and the SNGCI Best European Actor Award.

The three finalists in the running for the 6th edition of the Mario Verdone Prize (see news article), which is awarded to first films, were also announced. The finalists are: Perfidia [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Bonifacio Angius, Last Summer [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] by Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli and Darker Than Midnight [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] by Sebastiano Riso, which were “chosen unanimously”, according to Carlo Verdone, who is set to start shooting his new film, in which he pairs up with Antonio Albanese, in June. In the Cinema and Reality section, the issue of homophobia is tackled in Non so perché ti odio by Filippo Soldi, the relationship between immigration and reception is looked at in Leviteaccanto by Luciano Toriello, and Greece (past and present) is the focus of the two documentaries La Grecia è vicina by Enzo Rizzo and Attenzione Grecia by Ennio Lorenzini.

Once again this year, there will be a round table on "The General State of Italian Comedy” led by Marco Giusti, which will focus on new comic phenomena, from the Internet to the big screen (guests to include Maccio Capatonda, Claudio Bisio, Luca Miniero and the stars of web series The Jackal). Finally, the three films that were shortlisted for the Lux Prize 2014 (Girlhood [+see also:
film review
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interview: Céline Sciamma
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile], Class Enemy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rok Biček
interview: Rok Bicek
interview: Rok Bicek
film profile] and the winner, Ida [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile]) will be shown, along with the selection of short films nominated for the European Film Academy’s European Film Award  2014. For the complete programme of the European Film Festival 2015, click here.

(Translated from Italian)