Date: 29 November – 3 December 2023
Venue: Premier Elements
Ticket Price: Regular price $95, 15% discount for bc members, $75 for students and seniors
Language: Italian with English subtitles
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The Salento International Film Festival (SIFF), 20 years after its birth (2004-2023) with its innovative concept of “Itinerant” festival characterized by the high quality of its contents and a detailed research among the forms of contemporary cultural expressions, has presented and presents many independent films from around the world in various cities including Zurich, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Hong Kong, Santiago de Chile, Yerevan, Oslo, Reykjavik and many more. In 2023, SIFF introduces “Cultural Diplomacy”: a multicultural concept in an international context which will involve Embassies in becoming an active part in making their country known through cinema, one of the most powerful means of cultural communication and connection between cultures and people.
“Cultural Diplomacy” is not only represented by the Embassies present on Italian territory or by the Tourism Offices, but also by a series of cultural and artistic initiatives that promote intercultural exchange and mutual understanding between countries. Cinema is certainly an important tool in this context. Our great determination and passion have allowed us to offer once again this year a high-profile film programme, characterized by international prestige and high-quality content resulting from a careful research on cultural expressions.
The SIFF reconfirms itself as one of the most anticipated and prestigious events in Apulia (Italy); it is frequented and loved by many film fans and experts and it is known worldwide for the richness and variety of its calendar, which covers 5 very intense days of films. The Salento International Film Festival will present in Hong Kong a selection of the Best of the Fest 2023 Edition, to be screened in one of the coolest venues in the city, Premier Elements.
Screening Schedule
29 November 7:45pm – The Undecided Groom
30 November 7:45pm – Soldier Under the Moon
1 December 7:50pm – Illegal Ride
2 December 3:45pm – Girls Don’t Cry
3 December 5:40pm – That Place in Time
The Undecided Groom
Written & Directed by Giorgio Amato | Italy 2023 | 98 mins
The undecided Groom, who couldn’t or maybe didn’t want to get out of the bathroom anymore. Professor Gianni Buridano is an internationally renowned philosopher, Samantha the beautiful cleaning girl who works at the university where Gianni teaches. Despite the enormous social and cultural differences Gianni and Samantha have decided to get married, unaware that a terrible curse hangs over their love ready to unleash on their wedding day.
Soldier Under the Moon
Directed by Massimo Paolucci | Italy 2022 | 100mins
Clara spends her days without any aim, until she receives a letter: her uncle Anicio is dead and, since she was his only relative, Clara will inherit his heritage, included his big noble house. Anicio was a famous and successful writer, so Clara wants to monetize his fortune and heads to the house to inventory her new riches. She will come across a mysterious manuscript, hidden in his uncle’s office, which soon reveals to be the confession of a macabre secret, dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation in Italy.
Illegal Ride
Directed by Andrea Bifulco | Italy 2022 | 92 mins
Checco is an abusive Neapolitan taxi driver. He carries around the most varied customers at all hours of the day, and especially at night, when the clubs are open. His work leads him to gradually distance himself from his family, his wife Manuela and his daughter Sofia, with whom he tries to re-establish a relationship but without much success. Furthermore, his collaboration with a drug dealer, Tony, drags him into shady and dangerous business.
Girls Don’t Cry
Directed by Andrea Zulani | Italy 2023 | 95 mins
Ele, a 19-year-old girl originally from northern Italy who had settled down with her mother in Basilicata, runs away with her father’s old camper van just before her high school graduation exam to save it from getting scrapped. But, in the camper van she finds Mia a 21-year-old Romanian girl who had taken shelter in it the night before. The two girls’ runaway turns into a journey that will change them deeply.
That Place in Time
Directed by Giuseppe Alessio Nuzzo | Italy 2022 | 87 mins
The music conductor Mario is now retired and lives in a luxurious resort in the south of England. Dealing with Alzheimer’s disease, he is often taken with sudden memories that eventually disappear. His great fear is to lose the memory of a glorious past, but most importantly to forget his beloved wife Amelia (Giovanna Rei) – who died years ago, and his daughter Michela (Beatrice Arnera) that Mario hopes to meet again someday in a place far from the time. In a continuous mix up between real life, flashbacks and imaginary situations the audience watches the film through the protagonist’s eyes and his fear of the Alzheimer’s disease.
