Between 8 and 13 July, the medieval village of Montone will once again transform into a large open air cinema to welcome the 29th edition of the Umbria Film Festival. The event marks the beginning of a new artistic direction led by Maria Teresa Cavina.

As is tradition, the Italian festival celebrates auteur cinema with a selection of premieres, short films, classics and encounters with protagonists of the international cinematic scene. Amongst the most highly anticipated guests is Terry Gilliam, the visionary director and an honorary citizen of Montone, deeply connected to the festival for years. Gilliam will be the topic of a masterclass titled The Terry Prophecy and will introduce the special screening of his masterpiece Brazil (1985), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary. At his side will be Charles McKeown, co-writer of the film, to whom the symbolic “Keys of the City” will be handed, a recognition that the festival reserves each year for an important figure of world cinema.

The same “Keys” will be also handed to two important auteurs: Enzo D’Alò, a master of Italian animation, and Laura Citarella, an Argentinian director amongst the most significant voices in contemporary Latin American. D’Alò will present a special programme for the 50 years of Pimpa and will hold a masterclass, while Citarella will accompany a screening of her films Ostende and Trenque Lauquen [+lee también:
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The festival will also welcome other internationally renowned auteurs. Director Ameer Fakher Eldin, who will present Yunan [+lee también:
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Additionally, the international short film competition Amarcorti will offer a varied selection of works from Italy, Greenland, Palestine, Canada and France.

Completing the programme are numerous sidebar activities: the daily podcast recording by the magazine Sentieri Selvaggi, roundtables such as Luci nell’oscurità. Il cinema come atto etico [Lights in the darkness. Cinema as an ethical act] (with Giorgio Gosetti), jazz concerts, artistic interventions such as Becoming X into the Gilliamverse and nocturnal live drawing.

A screening of the documentary Orwell: 2+2=5 by Raoul Peck will close the event.