Taormina Film Festival is making a statement: the 64th edition of the Italian fest will see an all-female jury presiding over the competition. ScreenDaily reports that the jury will be composed of producers Martha de Laurentiis, Donatella Palermo, Eleonora Granata, and Adriana Chiesa Di Palma, and actor-director-producer Maria Grazia Cucinotta.
Set to take place July 14-20 in Sicily, the fest’s competition titles include Debra Granik’s father-daughter story “Leave No Trace” and “It Will Be Chaos,” a doc about two refugees co-directed by Lorena Luciana.
Of 12 films screening in competition, three are women-directed or co-directed, amounting to 25 percent of the program.
Among the women-helmed films screening out of competition are Jennifer Fox’s acclaimed Laura Dern-starrer “The Tale” and Angelica Zollo’s “Trauma is a Time Machine,” a portrait of a woman who battles self destruction and searches for healing after being raped within her relationship.
“This year, the festival is honoring films directed by women along with strong social themes from immigration, to violence against women, to refugees,” said co-artistic directors Silvia Bizio and Gianvito Casadonte. “This is another reason why we chose a jury made up of only women producers and actresses.”
Check out the women-helmed films in competition and out of competition below. List adapted from ScreenDaily.
IN COMPETITION
It Will be Chaos (US-It) Dirs:Lorena Luciana and Filippo Piscopo
Leave No Trace (US) Dir: Debra Granik
Tatterdemalion (US) Dir: Ramaa Mosley
OUT OF COMPETITION
Angel Face (Fr) Dir: Vanessa Filho
The Tale (US) Dir: Jennifer Fox
Trauma is a Time Machine (US) Dir: Angelica Zollo
