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FESTIVALS Italy

Turin capital of gay cinema, but Italy certainly not

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The oldest GLBT festival in Europe (and third oldest in the world, after San Francisco and Los Angeles) is turning 25. For the occasion, Da Sodoma a Hollywood, directed since its inception by founder Giovanni Minerba and to be held in Turin from April 15-22, proudly looks upon its past – with the retrospective Film That Changed Our Lives, 22 titles presented over the past editions, along with three films never before seen at the festival – along with changes for the future.

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Such as a new career award, the Dorian Gray (designed, like the festival’s colourful poster, by Ugo Nespolo), for an icon of gay cinema. The first recipient of the prize will be James Ivory, whose latest work, The City of Your Final Destination [+see also:
trailer
Interview Peter Cameron 1 [IT]
Interview Peter Cameron 2 [IT]
film profile
]
, along with Tunisian opening film The String (presented by lead actress Claudia Cardinale), is among the most awaited films screening out of competition.

However, the feature film competition naturally remains the most anticipated section. There are 11 films selected, most of them European, including Family Tree [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau and João Pedro Rodrigues’s To Die Like a Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
, but no Italian titles.

Fabio Bo, as of this year the new festival programmer, admits disconsolately: “We give up.” The dearth of films is a clear sign of the poor state of “gay cinema” in Italy. Adds Bo: “Obviously, you can’t compare [Italy] with large film industries like France or the US, but not even with the Philippines and Hong Kong. Our panorama is disheartening”. Beyond the few titles (such as the recent Loose Cannons [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
written by Ivan Cotroneo, in this year’s jury), there is “a problem of civic courage, from producers as well as directors”.

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(Translated from Italian)

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