The hottest film festival in the world, in one of the coldest and most fascinating villages in Italy.
This is how the Garofano Rosso Film Festival presents itself, which, from the heart of the Marsica region, has managed to carve out a unique place in the independent scene.
Born from the intuition of director Paolo Santamaria, the event has transformed Forme di Massa d’Albe, a tiny village nestled in the Apennines, into a cultural laboratory capable of attracting gazes, stories, and talents from all over the world. Forme, in the province of L’Aquila, has been the location of several masterpieces of cinema such as The Bible by John Huston and The Desert of the Tartars by Valerio Zurlini.
The 2025 edition will take place from September 1st to 7th, and will feature 47 works in competition from all over the world, composing a mosaic of unique and diverse perspectives, yet in harmony, divided into 8 thematic sections that explore marginality and inclusion through different languages: Bizarre, Afterword, Femme, Anteros, Wonderland, Lacci, Dystopia, Frontiers.
An event free for the public, with a predominantly educational, cultural, and promotional character, with particular attention to themes such as diversity and social inclusion, narrated through the medium of cinema.
At the artistic direction is Valentina Traini, who defines her mission in this way: “Abruzzo is the land of my re-landing; the Marsica is the land of my rediscovery… Cinema is an act of resistance, a way of restoring centrality to those who live on the margins.” A poetic declaration that encapsulates the spirit of the festival: to give voice to those who have none, to turn the margin into the center, to light up the square with authentic stories.
“Il Garofano Rosso is not just a film festival, but a shared experience: an act of cultural resistance born to give space to new voices and to intertwine different stories and perspectives. We want the community to feel part of this project, not spectators but protagonists, because cinema finds its strength when it meets people, places, everyday lives. Only then can it become living memory and generate new perspectives.”
Bizarre drags us into a distorted and grotesque world, where the contradictions of reality are exasperated until they become surreal mirrors. Afterword addresses the taboo of death, transforming it into an opportunity to confront the most intimate fears and the ultimate meaning of existence.
Femme gathers female voices that strongly claim the right to tell stories and redefine the gaze on the world.
With Anteros, cinema becomes an act of resistance and a claim to the right to love, beyond the boundaries imposed by conventions and prejudices.
Wonderland, instead, opens the door to the imagination of childhood, a dreamlike space where the desires and fears of the little ones become modern fairy tales. In Lacci, the protagonists are the subtle and fragile bonds that unite people, an emotional fabric made of closeness and distance.
Dystopia projects us into disturbing futures, where the shadows of the present lengthen until they turn into collective nightmares. Finally, Frontiers brings the gaze to the margins, both geographical and inner, where living becomes resistance and a possibility for discovery.
The Supernovae section debuts, a new and valuable launching pad dedicated to directors under 35, a project designed to shine a spotlight on new voices of Italian cinema, offering space, visibility, and concrete opportunities for artistic growth. This initiative is supported by the Ministry of Culture (MiC) and SIAE, within the framework of the program “Per chi crea” (“For those who create”), which promotes emerging national creativity.
Making this edition even more special are the awards, in particular the Giovanni Oppedisano Award for the best documentary and the Matteo Costa Romagnoli Award for the best music video. The festival’s creator, Paolo Santamaria, declares: “Garofano Rosso is not just cinema. It is a widespread festival that transforms the village into a stage: talks and meetings with special guests, traveling exhibitions, Poetry Slam competitions, and Cine-hikes through the historic sets of Abruzzo.”
The festival also has its patroness, Mrs. Rachele Libertini, who, with her fragility and her strength, has become a symbol of the Garofano Rosso: “Long live the Garofano Rosso. Long live Rachele. Long live her fragility,” reads the poetic manifesto.
With the patronage of the European Parliament, Garofano Rosso confirms itself as an event with an international scope, yet deeply rooted in its community: free, accessible to all, capable of transforming a mountain village into the beating heart of a cinema that resists and innovates.
Garofano Rosso is a flower grown among the cracks of the present, ready to bloom again. A festival that is not a showcase, but a collective act, an invitation to be permeated by cinema and by stories that change our gaze.
👉 Full program: www.garofanorosso.com
Giornalista detentore dal 2015 del Guinness World Records TV e Ambasciatore Borghi più Belli d’Italia.
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