At the Antico Teatro in the Sicilian city of Taormina, the 70th edition of the Taormina Film Festival got off to a lively start with the presentation of the Nastri d’Argento Awards, amid a mix of comedy and controversy.
The comedy was there and the loudest applause of the evening went to Carlo Verdone and Christian De Sica (above), two ‘pillars of Italian comedy’ as they were introduced by Pilar Fogliati, star of ‘Confidenze’ and ‘Romeo Is Juliet’ . .” Pilar herself received her first Nastro d’Argento. The Nino Manfredi Awards were presented by the son of the late actor and film director Luca Manfredi to Emanuela Fanelli, last seen in Paola Cortellesi’s blockbuster ‘There’s Always Tomorrow’, and to Claudio Bisio, the actor-director who sent a video message of Thanks.
Other absent winners included Margherita Buy and Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore, who received a special career award. One guest who organizers may have wished had sent a video message was Luca Barbareschi, the actor, director and producer of the David Mamet-penned “The Penitent.” Barbareschi, who took the stage, initially seemed intent on livening up the proceedings, but soon upset host Laura Delli Colli with a tirade about how movies should be more entertaining and less political and some general complaints about the situation of the industry before dedicating his award to his “best friends” David Mamet and Roman Polanski, whose “The Palace” Barbareschi produced and in which he performed. In addition to his long acting career, Barbareschi was also a member of the Italian Parliament, where he represented Silvio Berlusconi’s party from 2008 to 2013.
The Best Newcomer award went to Beatrice Grannò, who appeared in the second season of “The White Lotus” (filmed in Taormina) and Nicolas Maupas, whose Rai-Netflix show “Mare Fouri” (The Sea Beyond) made him a national star. Alessio Vassallo, Maurizio Lombardi and Giovanni Veronesi also received prizes awarded by the Union of Italian Film Journalists.
The 70th edition of the Taormina Film Festival will take place from July 12 to 20.
