The Busto Arsizio Film Festival. “This year, it is dedicated to comedy”

This year, the week of the Busto Arsizio Film Festival, from 18 to 24 April, is dedicated entirely to comedy. “A few days after the end of this year’s festival, the great Mario Monicelli would have turned 100,” the artistic director, Steve della Casa, said, “and it’s for this reason that we’ve decided to pay tribute to him in this way.” It is the films of the Maestro that will provide the leitmotiv to the festival, “but it’s still too early to present all of the films in the programme.”

However, what has been disclosed by the festival staff is the first big names that will be taking part: Walter Veltroni, who will be presenting his new documentary, I bambini sanno (The children know), in Busto Arsizio, and Vittorio Sgarbi, who is going to talk about Sgarbistan, the documentary in which he is the main figure. The Mistress of Ceremonies of this year’s festival is Valeria Solarino, who has been in such successful comedies as Manuale d’Amore, Smetto quando voglio and Una grande famiglia 2. Also in 2015, a lot of space will be given for schools, with a selection of films dedicated entirely to them, and to Italian cinema, but not only. For example, the “Stracult Night” is bringing to town Kirk Morris, the unforgettable 1960’s actor of the peplum film genre, who played Maciste, Hercules and Samson.

As always, the BAFF events will be shared between Villa Calcaterra, the headquarters of the Istituto Cinematografico Michelangelo Antonioni, and Piazza San Giovanni, where the large Infopoint created for the Expo will watch over the inauguration of the events not on the programme. “The BAFF is like something extra, in addition to the attention that this town already pays to cinema,” explained Steve della Casa, who promised that “this year will also be a grand occasion with many opportunities.” And it is no accident that, also in 2015, entrance to all of the meetings will be free.