Stockholm International Film Festival returns in the city’s movie theatres. This year’s edition the Festival is realized in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm and the Italian Embassy in Stockholm, thanks to the integrated promotion strategy Vivere all’Italiana.
The Stockholm International Film Festival started in 1990 and is one of the leading film festivals in Europe. It aims to offer an overview of modern international cinema and stimulate debate through seminars and meetings with actors and directors. During twelve intense days the festival presents 75 films premieres from 42 countries. In 2020, it will be screened in cinemas and also via the festival’s digital platform, due to the current pandemic.
The 31st Stockholm International Film Festival’s theme is out of order. In fact, 2020 is a year in which everything has been turned upside down and nothing it is the same anymore: pandemic and political instability have led to an out of order world. The Festival wants to create a natural but reasoned connection with the current world situation.
The Stockholm Film Festival has decided to dedicate a special focus to Italy. In March, it was one of the first most affected countries by the pandemic, that quickly spread in other countries, including France, which was even forced to cancel the Cannes Film Festival 2020. At the same time, Italy was also among the first countries to give a positive signal, organizing the 77th Venice International Film Festival in September 2020, despite the ongoing pandemic.
Through the screening of Italian movies such as Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone, The Ties (Lacci) by Daniele Lucchetti, The Truffle Hunters by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, Nowhere Special by Uberto Pasolini, and Thou shalt not hate by Mauro Mancini, Stockholm Film Festival brings Italy into Stockholm’s cinema.
Stockholm Film Festival also decided to award two prizes to important Italian personalities of the international cinema world.
At the 31st edition of the Stockholm International Film Festival, the Stockholm Visionary Award 2020 is given to the Italian award-winning director Matteo Garrone, who has been praised by both critics and film lovers for his latest film interpretation of the classic tale of the wooden doll Pinocchio – a massive success in Italy. Garrone has already made a name for himself internationally with films such as Gomorrah, Dogman and Tale of Tales. Matteo Garrone moves freely across genre boundaries and has shown evidence of creating both masterful fantasy tales and cinema verité. With recurring elements of film art and exquisite visual elements, Garrone revives Italian neorealism and is one of Europe’s most interesting contemporary voices. Matteo Garrone will receive the Stockholm Visionary Award over video link before the Red-Carpet screening of “Pinocchio”, Wednesday 18 November.
Golden Globe Award-winning Isabella Rossellini, daughter of Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian film director Roberto Rossellini, became one of the film world’s most prominent names for her role in the, nowadays, cult film Blue Velvet by David Lynch from 1986. In 2020, the Italian-American actress, director, author and the former photo model is honored with the Stockholm Lifetime Achievement Award. Isabella Rossellini will participate in an exclusive Face2Face during the 31st edition of Stockholm International Film Festival. Isabella Rossellini has embraced the art of cinema with an impressive lust, apatite and innovation. Starting with several moving and rich depicted female portraits, and later as an original creator, where the limits of her creative imagination seem to have been infinite.
