The Feature Film Competition documentary selection of the 49th Laceno d’Oro will showcase one world premiere (5 anni e un’estate by Mauro Santini), an international premiere (Le Boxeur chancelantby Lo Thivolle), a European premiere (New Berlin by Alexey Fedorchenko), and five Italian premieres.
In total eight docs will play in Feature Film Competition, whose jury comprises Massimo D’Anolfi, director, who, alongside Martina Parenti, received critical acclaim at the latest Venice Film Festival with Bestiari, Erbari, Lapidari; Antonio Piazza, director, who will present Iddu, co-directed with Fabio Grassadonia, out of competition following its success at the most recent Venice Film Festival; Gaël Teicher, producer and distributor, renowned for collaborating with filmmakers such as Paul Vecchiali, Jean-Claude Brisseau, Patricia Mazuy, Jean-Daniel Pollet, and the late Laurent Achard.
- New Berlin by Alexey Fedorchenko. Russia. 2023. European Premiere. A film that freely blends elements of documentary and fiction to create a tale on the madness of dictatorship and the delusion of racial purity.
- Rising up at Night by Nelson Makengo. Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar. 2024. Italian Premiere. A film about the beauty and violence in the nights of Kinshasa, a portrayal capturing the spirit of a people who live in darkness yet keep on searching for light.
- A Savana e a montanha by Paulo Carneiro – Portugal, Uruguay. 2024. Italian Premiere. The story of a community’s fight to protect the land from the prevarications of a multinational corporation.
- The Cats of Gokogu Shrine by Kazuhiro Soda. Japan. 2024 Italian Premiere. A tender and heartwarming film by renowned documentarian Kazuhiro Soda, where his enduring passion for cats takes offers a glimpse into a vanishing world.
- Le Boxeur chancelant by Lo Thivolle. France. 2024. International Premiere. A delicate portrait of an encounter and a meditation on tenderness, this film explores the bond between two fragile individuals who embrace boxing as an improbable adventure.
- We Are Inside by Farah Kassem. Lebanon, Qatar, Denmark. 2024. Italian Premiere. A humorous and touching documentary about the relationship between a father and daughter, reflecting on language and a dramatic moment in Lebanon’s history.
- 5 anni e un’estate by Mauro Santini. Italy. 2024. World Premiere. Mauro Santini chronicles five years of an elementary school class in Pieve Torina, one of the villages struck by the Marche earthquake. A delicate journey of growth and reconstruction.
- Una sombra oscilante by Celeste Rojas Mugica. Chile, Argentina, France. 2024. Italian Premiere. Director Celeste Rojas Mugica and her father, Lucio, retreat into a darkroom to develop photographs from the past. These images taken during Pinochet’s dictatorship by her father, a photographer opposing the regime, reveal haunting memories of resistance.
Ten documentaries are selected for Laceno d’Oro’s 22-film Eyes on the City Short Film Competition, whose jury comprises producer Pedro Fernandes Duarte and directors Luca Sorgato and Vanina Lappa.
- Quebrante by Janaina Wagner. Brazil. National Premiere
- Avant Seriana by Samy Benammar. Algeria, Canada. National Premiere
- Silêncio Elementar by Mariana de Melo. Brazil. National Premiere
- Quando a Terra Foge by Frederico Lobo. Portugal, Spain. National Premiere
- Figli di Nessuno by L’Ambulante. Italy. National Premiere
- Todos los barrios posibles by Matteo Giampetruzzi. Spain. National Premiere
- Cianuro by Eleonora Mastropietro. Italy. World Premiere
- The Rootless by August Joensalo. Finland. National Premiere
- Acqua Granda by Irene Dorigotti. Italy. World Premiere
- Il mio nome è nessuno (26’) di Giovanni Cioni. Italy. World Premiere
Founded by Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1959 in collaboration with Irpinian intellectuals Camillo Marino and Giacomo D’Onofrio, the Laceno d’Oro was created to celebrate the Irpinia region with a neorealist-inspired film exhibition. Today, the festival is organized by Circolo ImmaginAzione in Avellino, chaired by Antonio Spagnuolo, with artistic direction by Maria Vittoria Pellecchia and Aldo Spiniello in charge of the programme.
In recent years, the Laceno d’Oro International Film Festival has hosted renowned filmmakers such as Paul Schrader, Abel Ferrara, Alexander Sokurov, Elia Suleiman, Jia Zhangke, Marco Bellocchio, Robert Guédiguian, Olivier Assayas, Amir Naderi, Pedro Costa, Aleksei German Jr., Julio Bressane, Carlos Reygadas, Laurent Cantet, Franco Maresco, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Mario Martone, Ken Loach, Miguel Gomes, Stéphane Brizé, and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, among many others.
The eight-day film festival will feature screenings, talks with filmmakers, concerts, exhibitions, masterclasses, and workshops. At the heart of its program are three competitions: Laceno d’Oro 49, dedicated to international feature-length fiction and documentary films. Gli occhi sulla città (“Eyes on the City”) is focused on short films exploring themes of urban spaces, the environment, and landscapes, with creative freedom in interpretation. The Spazio Campania competition features films realized in the Campania region or by local filmmakers.
