¡El MADFA se asocia al Alexandria Short Film Festival!

El pasado 16 de febrero se celebró la gala de apertura de la 9na edición del Alexandria Short Film Festival (ASFF), un festival internacional de cortometrajes con base en Alejandría, al norte de Egipto. El inicio del evento tuvo lugar en la Opera House de la mencionada ciudad, en la que asistieron diferentes celebridades del cine árabe y realizadores competidores de diferentes naciones.

El programa de cortometrajes consistió en la proyección de quince cortometrajes diarios desde el 17 hasta el 21 de febrero, concluyendo en la gala de cierre y premiación el día 22 de febrero.

Durante esta cinematográfica semana, se llevó acabo el encuentro entre el director del MADFA, Roberto I. Ercolalo y la directiva del Festival local, integrada por Mohamed Saadoun, Mony Mahmoud y Mohamed Mahmoud para acordar una asociación entre las entidades Española y Egipcia respectivamente.

"Ha sido hermoso ver el amor que tiene la audiencia egipcia por el cine. Ello junto con la cálida bienvenida de los integrantes del Festival ha sido el mejor regalo que han podido darme." Se refirió el director del Madrid Film Awards.

Roberto I. Ercolalo en la gala del ASFF

"Considero sumamente enriquecedor crear vínculos con festivales de otros países y continentes; esta iniciativa tiene por objetivo llevar a otro nivel la experiencia de los realizadores participantes en nuestros festivales..." afirmó el cineasta argentino, y continuó "...que un proyecto ganador en un festival tenga la posibilidad de ser proyectado también en el otro, otorga la posibilidad de generar vínculos entre las culturas, un acercamiento más real al entendimiento y fundamentalmente, que el trabajo audiovisual llegue a más personas aún."

El acuerdo implicaría colaboraciones en los eventos, intercambio de material audiovisual y un prometedor camino de crecimiento e intercambio cultural para ambos países y continentes.

"Disolver fronteras y unir a todas las personas a través del cine es la principal meta del MADFA. He encontrado valores muy similares en el Alexandria Short Film Festival por lo que, en conjunto con su directiva, se ha acordado una asociación para la siguiente edición, la cual nuestros competidores encontrarán más que interesante" concluyó el director.

El ASFF tendrá lugar en el siguiente evento del Madrid Film Awards, el día 5 de mayo en el Colegio Mayor Argentino de Madrid. En el que se presentará su mejor cortometraje, en representación del Festival y como celebración del nuevo acuerdo.

¡Damos la bienvenida oficialmente al Alexandria Short Film Festival, y brindamos por este nuevo vínculo cinematográfico!

Web del Festival: http://alex-sff.com/

Web del Evento: https://www.madridfilmawards.com/event-2023

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Febrero 2023 I Equipo de Prensa

Madrid Film Awards (MADFA)

Exclusive Interview with Paolo Consorti

“Havana Kyrie”

Directed by Paolo Consorti

1 - First of all, congratulations for your remarkable and Finalist feature film! How were your first steps as a director?

Actually I started late. I was born a painter and at fifty I had a “cinematic raptus”. let's be honest, cinema has always been a lovely dream. after the Academy of Fine Arts, I had a wonderful experience with Serghey Bondarciuk, who saw my Dante pictorial works and proposed to me to collaborate for a project on the Divine Comedy. Due to Serghey's health conditions, the project did not come true, but for me it was an unforgettable adventure. 2 - How would you define your personal experience with cinema as a filmmaker?

Like a curious and affable stray dog. I think of the cimematographic work with the same lightness of the pictorial work. Of course, building a film is much more complex and stressful, but also interesting and fun. cinema has brought out the passions I have always had, such as philosophy, writing and music.

3 - How did the idea for this project come about?

The idea started with a proposal from Franco Nero. He asks me to think of an idea for a film to shoot in Cuba. I didn't get told twice, I went looking for inspiration and I thought of a story that posed an elderly and rigid Italian conductor, struggling with the ease of a Cuban children's choir. the idea of this contrast amused me and also excited me.

4 - We would like to know more about the choice of your shots. How has the process been of the selection of each of them?

As I said, our protagonist is an austere expert on Rossini's music. the obligation to work in Havana puts in contrast the Italian environment of the theater and its Renaissance villa in Pesaro, with the colorful theaters and the crumbling and fascinating architecture of Cuba. This apparently only aesthetic aspect , has a much deeper meaning: being united! Every scene shot had to remind me of this basic concept.

5 - What industry figure do you feel identified with, what have your influences been?

My nature spontaneously drags me to imagine a story, forces me to direct it so as not to lose it and condemns me to produce it to make it come true. Cinema is very similar to Renaissance art. In the Italian sixteenth century, art was not free, yet it is still unsurpassed today. this seems a contradiction, but in reality, the artist gives the best of himself, when he also plays with compromise. freedom is an illusion.

6 - Tell us about the backstage. What were the most complex or difficult things you had to solve during filming (technically and/or emotionally)?

I have been painting in solitude for decades. Directing so many people, in different languages, was certainly not easy. But the charm and emotion of the encounters, of the same clashes, up to the achievement of the final single work, are priceless. I really think I did well.

7 – Can you tell us something about your next job?

Now? Many and none ;-)

-- Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak with you! We will be attentive to your next jobs!

Madrid Film Awards I Press Team madridfilmawards.com

Exclusive Interview with Peter Halmi

“The Necklace”

Written and directed by Peter Halmi

1 - First of all, congratulations for your remarkable short film! How’d you get into cinematography?

My father was a CEO in theater so I grew up in a theatrical atmosphere. Already as a child I loved the wonderful music of Verdi and Puccini. I started my career as a theater director. My fiancée Kristina Goztola, who is the female protagonist of “Le Collier / The Necklace” and is also the producer of the film, has extensive international film experience. Kristina played with big actors as Rosamund Pike, Jason Clarke. She seduced me into the world of films. 2 - How would you define your personal experience with cinema as a filmmaker?

I think it's important for the director to believe in his actors, the cameraman and all the members of the crew. That way the actors feel safe in front of the camera.

I put big emphasize on rehearsal with the actors before shooting and on the post-production since the film then receives its final form. While I was writing the script of “The Necklace” and saw the pictures visually in front of me, I immediately had melodies in my head.

3 - Your movie has a great reflexive approach. What was the first film that achieved such an effect on you?

Italian and French classic films of the 60s and 70s enchant me in which harmony and beauty dominate like Fellini's Dolce Vita. That's why we are proud that we got the Sweden Film Awards a few days ago.

4 - Do you have another project in mind with a similar approach?

I'm working on the next script. I aspire to create again the triple unit of art: drama, music and beauty such as in opera performances. I like presenting the events from the protagonist's point of view.

5 - What industry figure do you feel identified with, what have your influences been?

My aim is to be myself, creating my own style. When I worked as a director in Los Angeles I lived in a house that used to be Frank Capra's home in Hollywood. Capra was an Oscar Award film director in the 30s 40s. The house was full of his movie posters and I was deeply fascinated by the whole atmosphere. Capra is the role model for artists like Steven Spielberg, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Olivier Stone, whose art has a great impact on me.

6 - Tell us about the backstage. What were the most complex or difficult things you had to solve during filming (technically and/or emotionally)?

Michel's character in our film is blind. Our friend parisian Jean-Philippe is a musician and is also blind. His wonderful personality had an effect on my writing the script of "The Necklace”.

We had to face literally some roadblocks during the shooting. As at the beginning of January when we started the shooting, the public transport was shutdown in Paris but we cleverly solved it.

7 - Do you plan to make a full-length film?

I'm working on the script of a feature film, depicting the complexity and vulnerability of a classic female figure. I hope I can tell you about this shooting soon.

-- Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak with you! We will be attentive to your next jobs! Madrid Film Awards I Press Team madridfilmawards.com