Founded 2008 | Produced by Stefano Conte | |
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Location Gallipoli, Lecce - Italy Awards Taurus/Mer Khamis/Taranta Directed by Roberto Quarta (Art director) Franco Danieli (Organizing Committee President) Website ecologicofilmfestival.it | ||
The Ecologico International Film Festival, also called the EIFF, aims to help discover and develop independent films - social, national and international - committed to issues of contemporary society. The EIFF is the place where you can meet authors and get to know films that by nature are difficult to use and approve through traditional distribution channels. It is held in Nardò, Italy. Founded in Lecce, at the initiative of Italian filmmaker Roberto Quarta, the festival has been celebrated annually in August since 2008.
Contents
Special Guests
Special guests of the festival in its first five years have included: the directors Luigi Faccini, Giuseppe Ferrara, Moni Ovadia, Francesca Muci, Eleonora Pariante; the producer Marina Piperno; the actor Omar Suleiman (Palestinian); the screenwriter Vanessa Picciarelli; the director of photography Marc van Put; the journalists Francesco Farina (Corriere del Mezzogiorno) and Massimo Causo; Nabil Salameh (Radiodervish) and Nando Popu (Sud Sound System).
Festival programme
The festival is composed of three different film sections. Films are chosen in each category by a section director with the advice of a committee of film experts. Categories include:
International Film Competition - Feature films (> 51 '), medium length (between 16' and 50 ') and short films (max 15') of any kind, addressing, in terms of actuality, the relationship between social communities and between them with the environment; which protect and promote human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law, and favor the awareness and appreciation of identity and cultural diversity in the world, coexistence among different peoples, religions and ethnic groups, indicating common solutions to the problems of contemporary society.
Debut Italian Movies - First and second works by Italian directors, outputs during 2011/2012, particularly working on issues of social relevance.
Taranta Movies - Movies that deal with typical issues of cultural - ethnic-anthropological-musical - tradition of Salento.
Awards
The EIFF Taurus Award is the main prize awarded for the best films at the Ecologico International Film Festival.
EIFF Taurus Award (since 2013) Award for Best Feature Film, for Best Medium length Film, for Best Short Film and for Best Debut Italian Film.
Mer Khamis Award (since 2011) Award for Best film selected by critics.
In 2011 and 2012, the Mer Khamis was the prize awarded for all the categories.
Taranta Award (since 2013) Award for the Best Film on traditional folk culture of Salento.
International Film Competition
Best Feature Film
Best Medium length Film
Best Short Film
Debut Italian Movies
Best Debut Italian Film
Best Film on traditional folk culture
Best film selected by critics
Officinema Summer School
Commencing in 2013, the EIFF has partnered with Officinema, which is a summer cinema school that takes place at the same time as the festival itself. The event runs 5 days during the EIFF and features workshops, lessons, lectures and panel discussions with well-known professionals addressing issues in filmmaking today.