Today, thursday 7 August 2014, the press conference of the XVIII edition of the Gran Paradiso Film Festival took place in Aosta's Palazzo Regionale. It featured Aurelio Marguerettaz - Regional Minister of Tourism, Sport, Commerce and Transport of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, Renzo Testolin - Regional Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ugo Curtaz - Member of the Board of Fondazione CRT, Vittorio Stefano Anglesio - President of Fondation Grand Paradis, Andrea Celesia - Minister of Tourism for the Municipality of Cogne and Luisa Vuillermoz - the Festival's Aristic Director.
This year the Festival celebrates the landmark 30th anniversary, with an edition entirely dedicated to the theme 'Nature is Life', with a special focus on sustainable mobility. Thanks to the project I.T.E.R. – Imaginez un Transport Efficace et Responsable, headed by the Department of Transport of the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley and conceived by Fondation Grand Paradis (which is also the main implementing body), the Festival will feature a range of initiatives to promote soft mobility.
«Once again the Gran Paradiso Film Festival, now in its thirthieth year, draws our attention to a range of topics of extreme importance for our times, such as the protection of and respect for nature and the mountain environment - declares the Regional Minister, Aurelio Marguerettaz. «The aim is strenghtening environmental consciousness, especially among the younger generations, for a better future for us all.»
The Festival will run from 25 to 30 August 2014 in Cogne, Rhêmes-Saint-Georges, Valsavarenche, Villeneuve and Ceresole Reale. The opening ceremony will take place in Cogne on Monday, 25th August, in the presence of the local authorities and Elena Cattaneo, Honorary Member of the Italian Senate with lifelong mandate and special guest of this year's edition.
The spotlight will be on the ten selected films, coming from 7 countries and competing for the International Competition, as well as on the nine short films competing for CortoNatura. The first section features 8 Italian premieres and a range of innovative cinematic works.
This year's Festival will also feature De Rerum Natura, the cycle of events which include conferences, rendez-vous with film directors, shows and round tables on topics related to nature and the environment. The list of guests includes Fabio Fazio, Lucilla Albano, Giovanni Maria Flick, Barbara Degani, Giampiero Sammuri, Italo Cerise, Vincenzo Paglia, Riccardo Di Segni, Khaled Fouad Allam, Christian Thoma, Alberto Piazza, Bruno Bassano, Flavio Caroli, Giorgio Pestelli and Nico Valsesia.
Luisa Vuillermoz, the Artistic Director, explains: «The Gran Paradiso Film Festival is deeply rooted in its long-standing history; each year, however, it welcomes with enthusiasm and passion the novelties that enrich its program. Today we proudly present an original, high-quality program, featuring many premieres and in-depth events, shows and high-profile guests. The Festival attemps to investigate a comprehensive conception of knowledge, which goes beyond the traditional opposition between the sciences and the humanities, building a bridge between the two, to investigate nature from different perspectives. The combination of thought and different forms of expression allows us to penetrate into the beauty of nature and to fully understand its significance and poetry».
The award ceremony of the 18th Gran Paradiso Film Festival will take place at 9 p.m. on Saturday 30 August in Cogne's Maison de la Grivola. It will be hosted by Fabio Fazio.
The Festival is organised by Fondation Grand Paradis in collaboration with the Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley – Department of Toursim, Sport, Commerce and Transport, the Gran Paradiso National Park, Fondazione CRT, Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Municipality of Cogne, the Alpine Convention, Federparchi, the Municipalities of Ceresole Reale, Rhêmes-Saint-Georges, Valsavarenche and Villeneuve.
For further information and to browse the Festival program please consult the official website, www.gpff.it/en.
