The curtain falls on the third edition of theInternational Sports Film Festival, held from 25 to 30 November at the hall Supercinema. The event, organized byPragma Association with the support of the Campania region and Film Commission Regione Campania, has received strong public and critical acclaim, establishing itself as a point of reference in the international sports cinema scene.
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Conceived and directed by the journalist Nicola D'Auria and the director Cyrus Sorrentino, the festival offered six days of screenings, events and meetings with prominent guests. “We wanted to convey the noblest values of sport, going beyond the logic of mere business,” said D'Auria. Sorrentino emphasized the growth in attendance, both of the public and of industry professionals, announcing initiatives in schools to promote cinema and sport throughout the year.
149 films were screened from 36 countries across all continents, including Italy, Nepal, Austria, United States, Brazil, Micronesia, United Kingdom and China. The jury selected 36 finalist films, culminating with the awarding of the following winners:
- Best Cinematography: “8 Islands”
- Best Director: “Stella Maris – Climbing the Waves”
- Best Documentaries: “The Sirens of Ukraine”, the story of two Ukrainian twins preparing for the Olympics amidst war and suffering.
- Best Narrative Film: “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning”, the story of Leo, a young rebellious footballer.
- Best Performance: “Double Step”, inspired by the story of the footballer Claudio Russo.
- Best Series: “RDS GP: Tire War 3”
- Best Student Work: “Mettle”, on the blind Paralympian Liana Mutia.
- Best Web Production: “Federico Dimarco: From the Second Tier to the Second Star”, short on the Inter full-back.
- Golden Runner: “Broken Breath”, Mike Maric's path to rebirth through breathing.
- Innovation Award: “Ephemera”.
Over 2.500 students involved and prestigious guests
The festival was attended by approximately 2.500 students to the morning screenings, alongside a rich calendar of evening events hosted by Tea Scarfato. Among the prominent names: Gianfranco Gallo, awarded the Campania Award, Bortolo Mutti, Gigi Pavarese e Angela Procida.
The free thematic workshops on sports photography, film agent management and the role of the casting director, held respectively by John Somma, Marianna DeMartino e David Zurolo, awarded with the Silver ribbon for “The Immortal”.
Article published on 2 December 2024 - 12:22
It was a very interesting event that brought many quality sports films to Naples, but perhaps it would have been better to have more space for discussions after the screenings. The workshops were useful, but a bit confusing.