Festival Data:

• Established: 1996
• Genre: General
• Attendance: 70000
• Media Attendance: 250
• Accredited Industry Attendance: 150
• Total Number of Films Submitted: 2500
• Total Number of Films Screened: 145
• # of Shorts Screened: 46
• # of Features Screened: 99

• Competitive
• Has Panels

Festival Website:

Festival Description:

Milano Film Festival was first held in 1996 as a festival/short film competition open to young Milanese filmmakers. Since then it has always been distinguished from other festivals for the thorough research, selection and distribution of works coming from all over the world and for presenting quality work of young and talented filmmakers. The first time it was opened to feature films was in 2000, when it found a prestigious venue in the Piccolo Teatro. The Festival also supports a film re-distribution project, which aims to create an alternative film circuit and has made Milano Film Festival an important point of reference for all those who want to make and see new quality films in Italy. The festival features two competitions that have achieved international acclaim thanks to their high quality:

Colpe di Stato- A selection of documentaries that depict crimes, injustice and slaughters in the name of freedom, security and religion. This sort of deliberate terror is used by different so-called democratic governments against civilians, to ban dissent or slant news coverage. These screenings mark an interesting but disturbing route around the world. And help us remember that the truth is far from the softened and soothing news the media deliver us everyday.

Every year the festival features a section on a particular filmmaker or period of the film history, with the aim of analyzing films and directors that are close to the festival nature.

milano film festivalino- A festival for the children. Much more than that: a festival run by children. An event in which they become the very protagonists and actively participate in its creation. A real side event runs in the weekends of the festival, featuring screenings of short films, workshops on animation films, music and painting, and common or long forgotten games.

Ther are also Meetings and workshops in the open air, presentations on the piazza and in the magic box, a workshop on 3D animation, meetings and laboratories with the juries of both competitions, a round table on information in collaboration with Internazionale magazine, a meeting with filmmakers Daniele Ciprì and Franco Maresco, also featured in this year’s special season, the workshops of the milano film festivalino.

Awards include:

Best Feature Film: The jury will confer the Best Feature Film Award, a 5.000 euro prize that will go to the director of the award winning film. The jury will also have the possibility to give special mentions to other films that have distinguished themselves.

Best Short film: The prize is worth 2.500 euro and it will go to the director of the Best Short Film. Also in this case, the jury will have the possibility to give special mention. However, their maximum number will not exceed the number of members featured in the jury.

Aprile Award: Every Year, the Aprile Award will be assigned by the members of the feature and short film selection committee to the film best representing the festival's spirit.

Audience Award: A vote for each coin. These words have been welcoming festival goers for years as they exit the cinema. They have the chance to vote for their favourite film by inserting a coin - regardless of its value - in the corresponding ballot box. The total amount of money collected is given to the director of the film that has got most coins.

Staff Award: Student's Jury Award

The feature film jury is made up of prominent figures belonging to different Italian and international cultural fields – directors, actors, but also writers, musicians, personalities of the cultural world in general. The short film jury is composed of a group of Italian or international professionals belonging to the world of cinema or visual arts – a close group of people used to working together, like the editorial office of a magazine, the writers of a TV broadcast, or the members of a film association. Among those who participated in the past: the Associazione Nazionale Montatori, the editorial office of Duellanti, Alias, minimum fax, Les Inrockuptibles, Studio Azzurro, Teatro delle Albe, the BFI – British Film Institute and in 2009 ARTE France Cinema.

Film Submissions:

• Accepts direct submissions
• Call for Entry: http:/ / www.milanofilmfestival.it/ portal/ 2011/ EN/ edizione/ regolamento.php

Curent Film Previews:

• In The Name of Art