24/01/2014 - The festival, running on 8-16 March, features a programme with Italian Antonietta De Lillo, Icelandic Solveig Anspach and Austrian Jessica Hausner. After undergoing financial cuts, it is launching a support campaign

Saturday, March 8 will mark the beginning of the 32^nd edition of the Bergamo Film Meeting, which will come to a conclusion on Sunday, March 16. Affected by finance cuts, the festival, directed by Angelo Signorelli has launched an appeal for funds.

The Bergamo Film Meeting’s journey through European cinema has an all-female cast this year, with the first part of programming dedicated to some of Europe’s leading female directors, who have gained prominence in recent years on the independent film production circuit.  

Big names from the 2014 edition - whose films will all be screened – are Italian Antonietta De Lillo (Non è giusto, 2001, Il resto di niente, 2004) who through comedy and documentary has rendered Naples’ people and places to the big screen with extraordinary sensitivity; Icelandic Solveig Anspach (Stormy Weather [+see also:
trailer
film profile], 2003, Queen of Montreuil [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Solveig Anspach
film profile], 2012), whose intimate and delicate filmmaking constantly plays around with roles and genres, delineating female figures under all their aspects – something which defines her cinema; and Austrian Jessica Hausner (Hotel [+see also:
trailer
film profile], 2004, Lourdes [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jessica Hausner
film profile], 2009), who delves deep into the human soul in a cold and perturbing way.

As always reserved to new filmmakers, the international competition will present seven feature length films, as-yet-unseen in Italy, which are characterised by an originality in language and narration and a confrontation to contemporary themes. The seven selected feature films will be competing for three awards at the Bergamo Film Meeting based on audience preferences.

Once more this year, the festival will propose a selection of documentary films, from an international panorama: shorts, medium length and feature films – all independent productions, which stand out for their creative approach to looking at real life, where the director’s eyes are actively seeking and discovering, in a lively and intense relationship with the visual.

A total of 24 feature length films will make up the retrospective dedicated by the Bergamo Film Meeting to Dirk Bogarde (1921-1999), including work with Joseph Losey (Il servo, 1963), a Visconti (La caduta degli dei, 1969), Resnais (Providence, 1977), Fassbinder (Despair, id., 1978). 

The Bergamo Film Meeting will also be presenting all films by Pierre-LucGranjon, director of animation films, illustrator and modeller, who tells the story of children’s deep universe with great simplicity and imagination. 

(Translated from Italian)