Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Agenzia Fides) – The 9th Religion Today Film Festival will begin October 16, in Bolzano (Italy). The Festival began in 1997 in the city of Trent, dedicated to the subject of dialogue among religions. This characteristic has made it an travelling event, always on the go, taking place in many cities in Italy and throughout the world: from Nomadelfia to Rome, from London to Jerusalem, from Teheran to Timor. The festival, which has already celebrated its 10th anniversary, tries to create a place for encounter and dialogue for all those working in the media world and the cinema, promoting their mutual acceptance and acknowledgement.
A particular effort is made in the festival to promote films of religious content and to offer publicity for films that would otherwise not enter into the public eye, for reasons of censure or commercial interests. Every year, films from all over the world register. This year, 95 have registered. Following the selection of an international and inter-confessional jury, they are assigned awards based on spirit of faith, for best film, best documentary, and best short film.
However, the dialogue is not only based on film, which is undoubtedly the focus in the festival, for its capacity to demonstrate and explain reality through the use of images...but the entire experience of the event. Every year, the actors and directors of the films are designated accommodations and live the days of the festival with their program’s commitments, but coupled with moments of prayer, dialogue, and meetings.
The festival’s call to dialogue is seen in the numerous religious groups that work in collaboration: from the Jewish Film Festival to Nomadelfia (a community in Tuscany founded by Fr. Zeno Santini); from the participation of the Polish festival Sacrofilm, that opened a door to the East, to the collaboration from Bangladesh and Brazil.
The 2008 Festival, which will run until October 31 passing through Trent, Rome, Ferrara, Nomadelfia, and Jerusalem, with its title reflects the entire mission on which it bases its existence: ““Il volto dell’altro” (“The other’s face”). As the Festival’s President Fr. Massimo Manservigi explains, “Listening, sharing, meeting, supporting, and in a word, ‘loving,’ for Religion Today does not imply a confusion with the beloved.”
The “other” in the title refers to God, in the personal relationship He has with each one of us, as well as God who is found incarnate in the people we meet on a daily basis. The novelty this year is a competition for youth from 15-20 years of age who can participate with a short film of three minutes taped by a cellular phone. The awards ceremony will take place on the last day, which is also scheduled to include an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The winning films will be shown beginning in November in the festivals in Jerusalem, Sao Paolo (Brazil), Syria, Iran, and Bangladesh. (PC) (Agencia Fides 30/5/2008)
