The president of the Montecatini International Short Film Festival Marcello Zeppi answers the questions of Hakob Asatryan, editor-in-chief of ORER magazine
– Dear Mr. Zeppi, the International Short Film Festival has been held in the city of Montecatini for 73 years. What is the uniqueness of your festival and what makes it different from other festivals?
– It is a Festival-School that works with the young people of Montecatini Terme and other Italian locations all year round. A Commitment that commits us all year but makes us feel good, working with young people we create the future of cinema together with them.
– How do you select the films? Do you choose only from the films of the directors who have applied to you, or do you also visit different festivals yourself and choose the films you like?
-This year we had an exceptional jury of 18 members who selected the films divided by genres in the first phase. The finalists and winners have chosen them all together.
Sometimes I inform the jury about the most interesting films I see at the Festivals and we include them in the Selection and I choose “The Best Of MISFS” by myself, i.e. the films that I decide to convey all over the world.
– This year, the film ‘Allusion’ by the young Armenian filmmaker Aram Manukyan was not only shown at your festival, but also received the main award of ‘Best Cinematographer.’ What did the jury particularly like about the film and what inspired you or the jury in that film?
-Not being on the jury I can’t answer what struck the jurors, but after seeing it I can confirm that it had to be rewarded for its beauty. Both the one that emerges and the one that knows how to represent the eternal dilemma of artists: how can I be better than I am today???
Personally I have chosen to reward the Film by allowing ALLUSION and Aram to continue this extraordinary journey in the MISFF IRS our International Tour.
– Prior to this, were you familiar with the works of Armenian filmmakers? Which Armenian director’s work do you particularly like and what do you know about Armenian cinematography?
-Aram’s work has filled my gap on original Armenian Cinema. If we exclude the master Paradžanov, Sergej Iosifovič who developed his art outside Armenia, I don’t know the new Armenian Cinema well, but I know how to recognize its spiritual identity which is strong and must be spread throughout the world.
–As far as I know, beyond the festival, you also had meetings with the Armenian director Aram Manukyan and his colleagues. Could it be possible to implement film projects in Armenia with Armenian filmmakers?
-I confirm. We have extraordinary projects and this also depends on the strong spiritual and ancestral bond that Armenian Cinema and young authors can show thanks to the new projects being organized for the new year.
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