Adnkronos Rome, October 13 (Adnkronos) – Acea, in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, presented the retrospective 'Gocce di cinema' and the contest 'The Thousand Faces of Water' at the Casa del Cinema. These two initiatives, born as part of the 20th Rome Film Fest, kicking off October 15th, explore the element of water through the eyes of renowned directors and young video makers.
The highlight will be the Acea evening event on October 24th at the Sinopoli Hall, when the preview of Luc Besson's "Dracula: The Lost Love" will be screened, one of the most anticipated films of this year's film festival.
The press conference moderated by Sky journalist Alessio Viola was attended by Salvatore Nastasi, President of the Cinema per Roma Foundation; Gabriella Buontempo, President of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia; and Virman Cusenza, Director of Communications for Acea. They all emphasized the visceral connection between water and the imagination of cinema and the fact that Rome, Queen of the Waters and capital of the aqueduct tradition, is the ideal place to celebrate this bond.
This year's "The Thousand Faces of Water" contest has a new theme, "The Guardians of Water," which has seen young directors and filmmakers try their hand at creating original short films that narrate the element of water through fiction, documentary, or animation. The goal is to raise public awareness of the importance of saving and reusing water, in line with the Acea Group's sustainability strategies. The best work among the three finalists from the 150 entries will be selected by a jury composed of Acea and critics from the Centro Sperimentale and will be screened on October 15th in the Teatro Studio Borgna hall of the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. The winning filmmaker will receive a prize of €5.000.
The "Gocce di cinema" series, produced in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, is also being renewed. This retrospective features nine films related to water, including titles such as Jean Vigo's L'Atalante, Lina Wertmuller's Swept Away, Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo, M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water, and Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard. These are joined by three titles from the Film Fest selection: Luigi Grispello's Figlio di Giano, Anne de Carbuccia's Choose Earth, and Stéphanie Sortat's The Velasquez Mystery. Also previewing is the new series Sandokan, starring Can Yaman and Alessandro Preziosi, set in the waters of Malaysia.
Starting October 15th, the festival's opening day, and for the duration of the Rome Film Fest, Rome's historic Teatro Olimpico will host a selection of films from the festival and will be transformed into the Acea Teatro Olimpico. The foyer will then be decorated with an exhibition of images, artworks, and industrial engineering objects from "Acea Heritage," an exhibition created to showcase the history and culture of Acea at the company's Rome headquarters in Piazzale Ostiense, led by CEO Fabrizio Palermo. Finally, during the event, an Acea stand will be set up at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, where guests can meet the stars of the films on the program and view the short films competing in the "The Thousand Faces of Water" contest. The stand will be reached by walking along the Blue Carpet, a reminder and highlighting the importance of water resources.