The Fausto Rossano Film Award Returns for its 9th Edition

There are 47 works in competition from all over the world divided into 7 categories and on the opening day, at the French Institute of Naples, the Special Prize will be awarded to Roberto Andò and Isabella Ragonese for the social commitment represented in their work through stories and characters often on the margins of society, of great strength and humanity, not least Clytemnestra

From Friday, October 13th to Sunday, October 22nd, the "Fausto Rossano Award" returns, now in its ninth edition. Titled "Corpi SOSpesi," the festival is organized with the support of the Campania Region and the Campania Film Commission, and has received the patronage of the City of Naples. The festival, which will open at the French Institute in Naples, is dedicated to the Neapolitan psychiatrist Fausto Rossano, who passed away in 2012. As the last director of the Leonardo Bianchi Psychiatric Hospital and subsequently as head of the Department of Mental Health in Naples, Rossano actively campaigned for the closure of mental institutions.

After a selection among more than 300 candidates, there are 47 works in competition divided into 7 categories (Short Films, Documentaries, Workshops, Animations, Focus Campania, Students, Schools) in line with the international orientation of the Festival and its multicultural scope. The works come, in fact, from 17 different countries (Italy, Turkey, France, Iran, Cyprus, USA, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Indonesia, Albania, Korea, Spain, Poland, Egypt, Ukraine, Holland, Palestine) and particular attention has been given to animated shorts, Italian productions, works directed by more than one director and, finally, to female directors (more than 20 this year).

"In the wake of my father's cultural idea, of attention to the needs of people in their contexts – explains Marco Rossano, director of the Award - Let's shine a spotlight on the cry for help that is rising from all sides, more so than ever in recent years.

On Friday, October 13th, during the opening ceremony at the French Institute in Naples, the "Fausto Rossano Special Prize" will be awarded to Roberto Andò and Isabella Ragonese for their social commitment, expressed through their work through stories and characters often on the margins of society, yet of great strength and humanity, not least Clytemnestra. The nominated works address numerous sensitive issues. Among them, mental health, abortion and failed motherhood, Alzheimer's, old age, social advancement, marginalization, human rights violations, child abuse, the distortions of ultranationalism, labor exploitation, feelings of inadequacy, the barriers of backward cultural traditions, the processing of grief, sexual identity, and the obsession with success. Worth noting is a topic that is rarely considered by many, stress from creative work, and another extremely timely one, artificial intelligence. However, the topic that undoubtedly recurs most among the competing works in this ninth edition is loneliness. The topic is so transversal that it appears in practically every category, each one describing different nuances of a problem that grips much of our society, especially after the last three years and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both in the “Short Films” and “Focus Campania” categories, the presence of well-known actors from the big and small screen stands out: the 2023 David di Donatello winner Francesco Di Leva (Nostalgia, Mixed by Erry) and Miriam Candurro (A Place in the Sun, The Bastards of Pizzofalcone) in Dreaming of Venice; the young Mario Autore (Eduardo in Sergio Rubini's I Fratelli De Filippo), the male protagonist of No Smoking; Pietro De Silva (Blessed Ignorance, The Best Days) in Super Jesus; Gianluca di Gennaro (They Call Me Jeeg, Commander), the Ciro of One Kiss Too Many; Nando Paone (…And It's Snowing Outside!, Mina Settembre) and Gea Martire (Loose Cannons, Inspector Ricciardi), the main actors of The Sea That Moves Things; Christian Giroso (Gomorrah, My Brilliant Friend) and Astrid Casali (Latin America, The Man on the Street) in New Year's Eve. Worth noting in The Sound, a co-production between Cyprus and the United Kingdom, is the presence of Joseph Mawle, an international star of successful series such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Game of Thrones (in which he plays Benjen Stark) and Troy: The Fall of Troy.

The jury, chaired by journalist Titta Fiore, is composed of Agnese Nano (actress), Stefano Bory (professor of sociology of cultural processes, Sergio Sivori (director, actor), Assunta Maglione (psychiatrist), Gina Annunziata (professor of history of cinema) and Federico Russo (psychiatrist, director of the “Lo Spiraglio” Festival).