Porretta Terme Film Festival

In the Bologna Apennines, on the border with Tuscany, is the hamlet of Porretta Terme, known for its natural hot springs and its film festival. Since 2002, the Porretta Terme Film Festival has been one of the most anticipated cultural events in the spa town and beyond.

The festival aims to be, on the one hand, a chance to promote Italian film and an opportunity to expand the cultural offerings in the area. On the other, it aims to introduce the public (especially younger generations) to the important experience of the Free Film Exhibition of Porretta, which in the 1960s and 1970s allowed people to enjoy previews of foreign films, such as Brazilian Cinema Novo and underground films from the United States of America.

Starting with the first edition, the festival has included a selection of films dedicated to important names in Italian and international cinema. Over the years, new categories have been added:

• Since 2013, the Fuori dal Giro competition has promoted the work of young creatives and offered them an audience and a stage from which to introduce themselves. As such, they gain feedback in an engaging yet friendly challenge that makes them the stars for a day.
• Starting in 2015, the crux of the event has been the Director’s Tribute. From Francesco Rosi to the Manetti Bros, and even Ken Loach, Tavernier and Abel Ferrara, this fascinating event brings the maestros of European and international film to Porretta Terme year after year.
• In 2019, the Elio Petri National Award was created, dedicated to the great Roman director active in the 1960s-1970s and winner of an Oscar in 1971 for Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion.
• The 2022 edition of the festival ushers in two changes: an official call has been opened to help select the films in the competition and, for the first time, the winner of the festival will receive a cash prize.

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