The 32nd edition of the international film festival “Love is Madness” was opened in Varna with the film “There’s Still Tomorrow” by director Paola Corretelesi. The competition program includes 12 films that will compete for the “Golden Aphrodite” grand prize.
The message of the festival this year aims to turn our gaze to our soul, immersing us in the stories of the characters from the films that will be screened.
“The message “Love is madness” has not changed since 1993. The meaning of life is love and affection for one’s neighbor. Through the films we show, we try to affirm, educate and give courage to the new generations to live a meaningful life, and not to chase after some material chimeras and political delusions. Love is the meaning that unites people everywhere”, commented the artistic director of the festival Prof. Alexander Grozev, writes Nova.
According to him, cinema is more than a “mirror” of human life. “It shows everything ugly, but also everything beautiful in our lives.”
The films will be judged by a three-member international jury, chaired by Momchil Karamitev. “It is a great excitement and honor for me, I am grateful to Mr. Grozev. So far I have not been the chairman of the jury, I have come many times to the festival, but only as a guest,” he said. According to Karamitev, every film should have an entertaining element.
A special guest at the festival this year is the Italian actor Franco Nero. He arrived at Varna airport, together with producer Krasimir Ivanov. “It’s my first time in Varna and I hope I’ll have a good time. When you get an honor, it means you’ve done a good job in life, that you’ve had a successful career, and that’s why they decide to honor you. I have a lot of awards, so I’ve done well”, shared the actor Franco Nero.
Before the opening of the festival, Franco Nero was awarded the mayor’s badge of honor with a ribbon at an official ceremony in the Municipality of Varna. Blagomir Kotsev personally presented the award to the Italian actor.
“I am extremely happy to welcome Franco Nero in Varna for the first time. My generation grew up with his movies. I have very vivid memories when we rarely had access to Western films, but I was able to get acquainted with the cinema of Franco Nero from an early age,” said Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev.
The official opening ceremony of the 32nd edition of the “Love is Madness” International Film Festival followed. There, Franco Nero received an award for overall contribution to world cinema.
“When they ask me, ‘What is cinema for you,’ I answer that it is like a very big city where people of different nationalities and races live. And they all have different dreams, live in different houses. Therefore, cinema will continue to exist as long as people continue to dream. Moreover, cinema represents freedom. Where there is no freedom, there is no cinema. It gave me the freedom to travel the world, I’ve been to over a hundred countries. I will always be grateful for what the cinema gave me the opportunity to experience”, Franco Nero told the audience.
The Italian actor also presented his latest film “Happy Days” by the young director and screenwriter Simone Petralia in Varna. A touching story about love, happiness and the end of life. The program also includes a retrospective of the actor with the films “The Last Days of Mussolini”, “Tristana” and “Dear Gentlemen”.
At the official press conference and at the meeting with the audience, the actor told interesting stories from his career – about his work with Laurence Olivier and Quentin Tarantino. Franco Nero will soon star in a Bulgarian film directed by Jacky Stoev. He is currently wrapping up the editing of his latest title, The Mansion, directed by his son Carlo Nero, with the participation of other members of his family.
The closing of the official program of the “Love is Madness” festival will be on August 30, with the film “Bolero” by Anne Fontaine.
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