Ravenna, 14 October 2020. The virtual press conference presenting the second edition of Visioni Fantastiche – the film festival dedicated to schools and the territory – has ended. Visioni Fantastiche is renewed this year with an incredible program of free events open to all, dedicated to students, but also to the general public. Present as conference speakers: Franco Calandrini, artistic director of the Festival, Elsa Signorino, Councilor for Culture of the Municipality of Ravenna, Ouidad Bakkali, Councilor for Public Education and Childhood, Carlo Tagliazucca, programmer of the Festival and Valentina Scentoni, general organisation of the Festival.

“The aim of this festival – comments the Councilor for Culture Elsa Signorino – is to make our children go far beyond the simple vision of a film. We are sure that the numerous opportunities – to learn the “behind the scenes” and to participate in creative workshops able to develop a critical eye and to approach the complexity of the many professionals that contribute to the realization of the masterpieces of the seventh art – will be appreciated they will enrich everyone’s cultural background, perhaps giving rise to new passions “

The Festival will be physically held at the Palazzo dei Congressi from 9 to 15 November with a preview on 24 October. The cornerstone of the event will be a very special short and feature film international competition. Dedicated exclusively to students, it will be divided into five sections, according to different age groups: 6+, 9+, 12+, 16+ and 18+. The youngsters who will take part will not only see the films in the competition, but will also be able to vote for them after the viewing, covering both the role of spectators and jurors. In addition to the international competition, there will also be specific limited number workshops, divided into the same categories. The workshops will consist of practical experiences focused on cinema in its most manual aspect: the creation of a short in stop motion, video games, podcasts, commercials. In addition, experts from the world of education and cinema will hold various masterclasses: free lessons which will deal with various topics, including the history of film laughter, the heroes of Japanese cinema, the link between cinema and philosophy and much more.

“This festival is an important occasion that we are pleased to present again for the second consecutive year – comments Ouidad Bakkali, councilor for public education and childhood – and which, we are sure, will also be appreciated by our children. The choice of making them both spectators and judges is intended to be a stepping stone in going beyond watching a film, stimulating their curiosity and conveying the importance of all the work behind the making of a film. We are very happy to be able to guarantee, in complete safety, even the workshops so as to allow children to learn together during an experience that is different from classic school lessons “.

But is the festival dedicated only to schools? No, the festival program will be even richer and will also allow the general public to take part. Two Fantastic Premieres are planned, free and open to all screenings of unreleased films, which will combine the spectacular element with the educational one. The first film will be White Snake, a love story based on the ancient Chinese legend of the white snake, scheduled for Saturday 24 October; the other closing, Saturday 14 November, will be The Prince’s Journey, a spectacular training journey of a boy and an old monkey prince.

There will also be an interactive space focused on Virtual Reality, where participants will experience a unique virtual reality experience, through viewers and masks in total safety and comfort. Unmissable this year will be Tribute to the Masters, the section dedicated to the great masters of animation cinema. This year, in continuity with the previous edition, it will feature the iconic film by Hayao Miyazaki Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. But that’s not all! The section will enjoy the virtual participation of Bruno Bozzetto. With sixty years of career behind him, Bruno Bozzetto is universally considered one of the most eclectic and influential cartoonists of yesterday and today. His minimalist style focuses on content rather than aesthetics to talk about universal themes through an educational approach and a biting irony that make his films suitable for both young and adult audiences. Since the 1960s he has made over three hundred films that have earned him 130 awards including an Oscar nomination and a Berlin Gold Bear. The Maestro will honor the Festival with a precious virtual contribution, when he will be interviewed remotely by the programmer Carlo Tagliazucca.

In this regard, the programmer Carlo Tagliazucca states: “We are very happy to have the opportunity to introduce the new generations to the work of a great master like Bruno Bozzetto, author of international importance. In particular, the vision of a selection of his short films, which cover a time span ranging from the 1950s to the present day, will allow young people to understand what the evolution of a style is, increasingly rarefied and essential until it reaches perfection. and pure clarity and essentiality “.