16th edition – 2017

16th edition
Magma Film Festival

The sixteenth edition of Magma takes place from 19 to 25 November 2017 in Acireale (CT).

The first side event of the festival is, on Sunday 19, the inauguration of the exhibition “Bene, Bis” at Acireale City Hall, that contains unreleased photographs devoted to the works of Carmelo Bene, 80 years after his birth and 15 after his death. The exhibition – curated by Mario Serenellini in collaboration with dinDodo (Paris) and the Herculaneum’s MAV (Virtual Archaeological Museum) – brings together 43 black and white photos by Gianfranco Mantegna, “Stephan”, Riccardo Orsini and Claudio Abate, renowned authors who have captured some magical moments of the performances held over two most fruitful seasons (1966-67 and 1967-68): Pinocchio, Majakowsky, Faust o Margherita, Il Rosa e il Nero, Nostra Signora dei Turchi, Don Chisciotte, Arden of Feversham.

On 21 and 22 November at Villa Belvedere takes place Lapilli, a two-day training course for filmmakers, producers, distributors and short film authors who would like to learn more about project development, co-production and funding opportunities, distribution, promotion, and submissions to festivals. The two experts are Adam Selo (producer and distributor for Elenfant Film) and Alessandra Pastore (producer and tutor of Maia Workshop). The projects submitted to the Masterclass will participate in a pitch to measure their potential and receive feedback from the experts. Some of the short films that have already been completed will be presented during the festival.  The classic International Competition is held in 23, 24 and 25 November at multisala Margherita; on Friday 24 November Txema Muñoz, managing director of Kimuak and a member of the Jury at Magma 2017, showcases a special selection of 2016 Kimuak shorts.

The Lorenzo Vecchio Award (in honour of the late creator of the festival, who passed away in 2005) went to Gamer Girl, by Irena Jukić Pranjić (Croatia, 2016). “For the originality with which it tells about a dynamic known by everyone, using a precise, synthetic visual language through an open and universal author's eye. With intelligence, humour and at a rapid pace, the short tells the story without sacrificing bitterness. We hope Gamer Girl can be seen by as many people as possible.”, this was the statement of the Jury.The award was picked up by the Croatian director herself, who was present at Magma.

The Jury also conferred three special mentions. The first one went to Life on Mars, by Jose Manuel Carrasco (Spain, 2016), “for the ability to gently represent characters able to move the audience, by reminding us that second chances exist and must be grasped.”, the Jury stated. The Jury presented a special mention to the documentary Commodity City (USA/China, 2016) by Jessica Kingdon, “for photographing, like an expressive painting, a reality in which the human being is overwhelmed and becomes the object itself, just to make money and not life.” The last special mention went to “I’ve Got You”, by the Polish director Sebastian Drozak, “for the elegance with which it was directed and the ability to get immediately to the very heart of the story, putting at the centre of the film the relationship of the protagonists, as they move in a melancholy and timeless place.” The award was picked up by the production manager Maria AnnaWachowiak and the DOP Konrad Wasilewski.

The Audience Award went to Life on Mars.

The Jury panel is chaired by the director Paolo Civati and composed of the screenwriter Josella Porto and the Kimuak programmer Txema Munoz.

Magma is made possible with the support of Regione Sicilia, Acireale Town Council and the partners Pasticceria Costarelli, Ceramiche De Simone, La Bottega dei Monsù, Etna Mareneve Escursioni, Fischetti.

International Competition:

International Competition:

Here you can find the selected short films for the International Competition
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

An American Dream, Jonathan D’Ambrosio, USA, 2017, 4′
Analysis Paralysis, Anete Melece, Switzerland, 2016, 9′
And The Moon Stands Still, Yulia Ruditskaya, Germany, 2017, 10′
Asphalt, Laura Townsend, France, 2016, 21′
Backstory, Joschka Laukeninks, Germany, 2016, 8
Child, Iring Freytag & Viktor Stickel, Germany, 2016, 9′
Commodity city, Jessica Kingdon, USA, 2017, 10′
Diamenteurs, Chloé Mazlo, France, 2016, 11′
Downunder, Fernando González Gómez, Spain, 2017, 19′
Elu enne elu / Life Before Life, Rao Heidmets, Estonia, 2017, 7′
Gamer Girl, Irena Jukić Pranjić, Croatia, 2016, 9′
I’ve Got You, Sebastian Drozak, Poland, 2016, 15′
Import, Ena Sendijarevic, Netherlands, 2016, 17′
In vivo, François Raffenaud, France, 2017, 20′
Life on Mars, José Manuel Carrasco, Spain, 2016, 16′
Locus, Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi, Poland, 2016, 12′
Mr. Postman, Victor Araneda Jure, Australia, 2016, 17′
My Little Dhaka, Rossella Anitori, Italy, 2016, 14′
Nerón, Rubin Stein, Spain, 2017, 17′
Nurse Me, Kezia Barnett, New Zealand, 2016, 11′
Ossa, Dario Imbrogno, Italy, 2016, 3′
Running Lights, Gediminas Siaulys, Lithuania, 2017, 11′
The Cook-off, Hanna Cho, USA, 2016,7′
The Forest Paper, Sipparpad Krongraksa, Thailandia, 2015, 4′
When the days were endless, Marcus Vasconcelos, Brazil, 2016, 13′
You’ll Never Walk Alone, Stéphane Grodet, France, 2016, 13′

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