“Kalavrìa” by Cristina Mantis triumphs at the Naples Film Festival: here are the winners

### “Kalavrìa” by Cristina Mantis triumphs at the Napoli Film Festival

“Kalavrìa” by Cristina Mantis was elected best film in the Nuovo Cinema Italia competition at the Naples Film Festival, winning the Vesuvio Award of the 25th edition. The festival was directed by Mario Violini and the event was organized by WooW and the French Institute. The jury motivated its choice by praising the film for its cultural and anthropological value, together with its ability to evoke and narrate contemporaneity through a myth.

### Jury's Reasons

The jury, composed of director Romano Montesarchio, actor Nando Paone and journalist Ilaria Urbani, underlined the importance of the film for the story of a land often simplified and denigrated. The choice was also made for the evocative and never invasive photography, which manages to show a beautiful region, the heart of Magna Grecia, despite the difficulties related to crime, politics and prejudice.

### Special Mention and Other Awards

In addition to the victory of “Kalavrìa”, the jury awarded a special mention to “Desiré” by Mario Vezza. The film was praised for having addressed issues such as youth distress and integration, connecting to the long-awaited referendum on migrant citizenship. The SchermoNapoli Corti section saw “L'attesa” by Antonello Novellino and Antonio Quintanilla as the best work, for its ability to enclose a complex plot in a few minutes.

### Awards for Best Performances

The best performances were awarded to Giacomo Rizzo for the short film “Era ora!” by Valerio Manisi and to Anna De Dominicis for “A piedi nudi” by Luca Esposito. Both actors were awarded for their ability to authentically represent their characters, respectively a soul in transit towards Purgatory and the contrasting feelings of youth.

### Notes from the Organizers

Mario Violini, during the awards ceremony in the Sala Dumas of Grenoble, reflected on the 25 years of the Napoli Film Festival, celebrating the many international and Italian stars who have participated in the event. He also announced that the team is already working on the next edition, promising evolutions of the format and many surprises. The winners of the Nuovo Cinema Italia and SchermoNapoli Corti sections were also awarded a cash prize of 2.000 and 1.000 euros respectively for the rental of film equipment thanks to the technical sponsor CIAK.rent.

### Conclusions

The Napoli Film Festival continues to be an important stage to highlight new proposals and talents in cinema, keeping alive a tradition of excellence both locally and internationally. The success of “Kalavrìa” and the other award winners confirms the importance of telling authentic and diverse stories, capable of resonating with audiences and critics.