SOVERATO, July 28, 2025 - Author conversations and high-level screenings enlivened the second evening of the 22nd edition of the Magna Graecia Film Festival on Sunday, July 27, in the evocative setting of the Soverato seafront. There was also a moment dedicated to raising awareness among citizens on the issue of gender-based violence.
Margherita Buy was the guest of the author conversation with film journalist Fabrizio Corallo. Multi-award-winning actress and debut director of Volare, Buy enchanted the MGFF audience with her authentic and elegant irony and her refined sensitivity: "The film is the result of my fear of flying, it was born to exorcise this trauma... which, however, despite airline courses, I have not managed to overcome! I wanted to tell my own story directly, after so many have done so through me, with a light and fun film and I am very happy to have managed to say everything I had in mind, affirming my way of seeing things," said the actress, who, when asked about a possible next film as a director, replied, "I have not yet found something worth telling, but I am fascinated by stories from the past. I have a rather melancholic soul."
At the end of the debate, the musical moment took place on stage with Chiamamifaro, stage name of Angelica Gori, a young and talented singer-songwriter fresh from her participation in the Mediaset program Amici by Maria De Filippi, who sang her latest singles to the MGFF audience: Acqua Passata and Leone, accompanied on guitar by musician Francesco Petrinoni.
Awards time with the president of Rai Cinema Nicola Claudio, who received on stage the golden column by maestro G.B. Spadafora. "The MGFF is a meeting and reference point for Cinema in Calabria thanks also to its large and attentive audience, and it fully reflects the mission of Rai Cinema, which seeks every day to tell the story of our country. We like to define ourselves as a 'contemporary cultural workshop' whose commitment is to bring to theaters an audience accustomed to streaming, with a variety of languages. Genres and narrative structures and new voices and authors like those present at MGFF can only help achieve this goal," said Claudio.
The event, hosted by Carolina di Domenico and Marco Maccarini, is conceived and directed by Alessandro and Gianvito Casadonte.
The latter, during the evening, emphasized: "Debut works are difficult because, after being produced, they are put 'in a drawer' and forgotten. Our aim is to support young authors in a land like Calabria. We open this drawer and give visibility to the future masters of cinema."
Following up on the speech was Nicola Giuliano, famous Italian film producer, who was also awarded on the Magna Graecia Film Festival stage: "The discussion about first and second works is very important, it is the most necessary moment for those who do my job. In first works, the work we do is enhanced because we are about to accompany the beginning of a career. The first film is the dawn of a talent, a new vision." Giuliano, to the applause of the audience, then revealed: "We are about to make, with the support of the Calabria Region, a docufilm about Rino Gaetano, directed by Giorgio Verdelli, and we will bring it here next year."
At the beginning of the evening, there was space for the Magna Graecia Off, the special window that anticipates the official Festival program. A moment of discussion and dialogue between cinema, institutions, and civil society, which reiterated the importance of artistic language in the fight against gender-based violence. The MGFF OFF saw the participation of authoritative representatives of the institutions, including the Chief of Police of Catanzaro, Giuseppe Linares, and the spokesperson of the Police Headquarters, Chief Commissioner Giulia Ceravolo. During the panel, the trailer of the short film Le Féministe, was screened, in the presence of director Daniele Pierosara and co-star, actor Michelangelo Antinori.
The program then continued with the screening of "Familia" by the director from Cosenza Francesco Costabile. Also on stage was one of the cast members, Francesco Di Leva, winner of the David di Donatello for best supporting actor. The film, based on the book Non sarà sempre così by Luigi Celeste, is inspired by the true story of his family, and investigates the psychological dynamics of toxic relationships and the dominant mechanisms in family contexts with stories of domestic violence.
During the evening, trailers of the works by directors Mattia Leonardo De Blasi (Il Cammino – Viaggio in Calabria), and Giulio Ancora (Even) made with the support of Calabria Film Commission were screened.
Tonight, Monday, July 28, the MGFF stage will host actor and director Kim Rossi Stuart, winner of awards such as the David di Donatello, Nastri d’argento, Globi d’Oro, and actress Barbara Chichiarelli, winner of the Ciak d'oro in 2020. The third film in competition will be "Nonostante" by Valerio Mastrandrea, with guests Lino Musella, Francesca Manzini, and Peppe Lanzetta. At the Supercinema, from 6:30 pm, screenings of "Gelsomino è Donna", by the School Center "Dea Persefone Zanotti Bianco", directed by Federika Ponnetti (Sponsored by Calabria Film Commission) and "REAL" by Adele Tulli, in the documentary category. There will also be a screening of a Short Film showcase, curated by Picentia Short Festival.
The Magna Graecia Film Festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Calabria Straordinaria – brand of the Calabria Region – Department of Tourism – Calabria Film Commission and Municipality of Soverato. Major national and regional brands embrace the cultural challenge of the Magna Graecia Film Festival: Poste Italiane, Banca Montepaone, Webgenesys, l’Amaro del Capo, Calabria Motori. The Golden Columns awarded to the protagonists of the event bear the signature of the brand GB Spadafora.
Admission to all Magna Graecia Film Festival events, in the arena and at the Supercinema, is free, with no reservation required, until seats are filled. Specifically, in the arena, access will be allowed from 8:00 pm and the evening will begin at 9:00 pm. For the entire week of the festival, the Soverato municipal administration has implemented transport services to facilitate arrival at the arena. You can park your car in the Palazzetto dello Sport area and in the former Camping Le Giare area. The train service will be active at 1.50 euros and the bus service at 1 euro with rides scheduled from 7:00 pm to 1:00 am.
