·  The Blue Carpet opens with the second edition of the short film contest “I mille volti dell’acqua” and the showcase “Gocce di cinema”, both dedicated to the theme of water
 

·  Throughout the event, the Teatro Olimpico will become the Teatro Olimpico Acea and will host the exhibition “ACEA Heritage”
 

·  On 24 October, “Dracula - A Love Tale” by Luc Besson will premiere in the Sinopoli Hall during the “ACEA Evening”

 

Acea, in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, presented at the Casa del Cinema the retrospective “Gocce di cinema” (“Drops of cinema”) and the contest “I mille volti dell’acqua” (“The thousand faces of water”), two initiatives launched as part of the 20^th edition of the Rome Film Fest, kicking off on 15 October, aimed at exploring the theme of water through the eyes of great directors and young videomakers. The main event will take place on 24 October, during the evening dedicated to ACEA at the Sinopoli Hall, when “Dracula - A Love Tale” by Luc Besson, one of the most eagerly awaited films of this year’s festival, will be screened.

 

At the press conference moderated by Sky journalist Alessio Viola, participants included Salvatore Nastasi, President of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, Gabriella Buontempo, President of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia di Roma, and Virman Cusenza, Director of Communication at Acea. They all highlighted the deep connection between water and cinematic imagery, noting how Rome, Regina Aquarum and capital of the aqueduct tradition, is the ideal place to celebrate this bond.

 

The contest “I Mille Volti dell’Acqua” features a new theme this year: “I custodi dell’acqua” (“Guardians of Water”). Young directors and filmmakers have taken up the challenge of creating original short films that explore the element of water through fiction, documentary, or animation, with the aim of raising public awareness of the importance of water conservation and reuse, in line with the ACEA Group’s sustainability strategies. The best work among the three finalists, selected from 150 entries, will be chosen by a jury composed of ACEA representatives and critics from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and will be screened on 15 October in the Teatro Studio Gianni Borgna Hall of the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. The winning videomaker will receive a prize of €5,000.

The film showcase “Gocce di cinema”, organised in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, also returns this year. It is a retrospective of nine films exploring the theme of water, including titles such as L’Atalante by Jean Vigo, Swept Away (Travolti da un insolito destino nell’azzuro mare d’agosto) by Lina Wertmüller, Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog, Lady in the Water by M. Night Shyamalan, and Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder. These are joined by three titles from the selection of the Film Fest: Figlio di Giano by Luigi Grispello, Choose Earth – Blue Print by Anne de Carbuccia, and L’Énigme Velázquez by Stéphane Sorlat. The new series Sandokan, starring Can Yaman and Alessandro Preziosi and set in the waters of Malaysia, will also have its premiere.

From 15 October, the opening day of the event, and throughout the entire Film Fest, the historic Teatro Olimpico in Rome will host several films from the showcase and will become the Teatro Olimpico ACEA. Its foyer will feature an exhibition of images, artworks and industrial engineering objects from “ACEA Heritage”, the exhibition created to tell the story and culture of ACEA at the company’s Roman headquarters in Piazzale Ostiense, led by CEO Fabrizio Palermo. During the event, an ACEA stand will also be set up at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, where it will be possible to meet the protagonists of the films on the programme and watch the short films competing in the “I mille volti dell’acqua” contest. Visitors will reach the stand via a Blue Carpet, which will remind visitors of and highlight the importance of water resources.