“Let’s make Comedy be great again!”. This captivating slogan by Ezio Greggio, founder and president of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie (MCFFC), contains the deepest meaning of this intriguing event set in the Principality. A stepping stone for new talents and a rolling out Red Carpet for renowned movie stars.
Following a long-lasting success, the 16th edition of MCFFC, under the high patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Italian Embassy, will keep the spotlight on the high-quality international Comedies at the Grimaldi Forum from 4th March until the 9th March 2019 when the best movie productions will be awarded during the glamorous VIPs Grand Gala Show.
But what can we expect from the 2019 edition? The opening press conference, held at Fairmont Hotel on the 4th March 2019, was full of surprises. This year, the technical jury is led by Emir Kusturica, undisputed master in the world of Cinema as award-winning film director of brilliant, surreal, musical comedies able to arouse various emotions. Managing a comedy production is not an easy undertaking and making people laugh or cry is directly connected on how any single actor performs. The audience easily detect if this is powerful or not and the MCFFC popular jury shows this every year. Thus, sometimes trying to be funny produces just the opposite effect and awkward situations.
«To be a picture of human life, to reflect the light is very difficult», pointed out Kusturica adding: «making a comedy is just the combination of nightmare and happiness so it is not fun but a constant quest to win against obstacles like in a war».
A distinguished technical jury will be following all screenings for the whole week. Sandra Milo, iconic Italian actress, directed by major filmmakers like Rossellini, Jean Renoir and Federico Fellini, underlined the importance of boosting Cinema and Comedy through similar events.
The Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie is a unique festival gathering the show business and the audience in one place, as Mrs. Milo highlighted. Mathilda May, French actress and writer, showed a great interest in watching the selected comedies. Edoardo Leo, brilliant new-generation Italian actor and filmmaker will play as a skilled member of the jury.
The common thread of all films in competition is romance, despite hard times for love and harmony. The aim is to push a positive trend in this underestimated genre that, regardless of unjustified clichés of frivolity, is able to attract the attention through a sequence of emotional ups and downs based on a win-win smooth storytelling.
The eight unpublished comedies in the running will not fail to amaze. The troubled life path of a mature couple described in “An unexpected Love” (directed by Juan Vera, Argentina & Spain – 2018) contrasts with the desire to change life within the Israeli controlled territory enhanced by “Tel Aviv on Fire” (directed by Sameh Zoabi, France, Israel and Belgium – 2019). The existential crisis of a grown woman shown in “Emma Peters” (directed by Nicole Palo, Belgium & Canada – 2018) combines with a heart-broken girl story that says something about today’s society, depicted in “Bad Poems” (directed by Gábor Reisz, Hungary & France – 2018). The conflict between meaningless art and transcendence outlined in “Juliet, naked” (directed by Jesse Peretz, USA – 2018) is opposed to the impossible love of “The Story of a Summer Lover” (directed by Paul Negoescu, Romania & Bulgaria – 2018). The mysterious story of a French young editor seeking for talent narrated by “Le mystère Henri Pick” (directed by Rémi Bezançon, France 2019), shown in world preview, interfaces with the difficult task of saving the Planet as “Super Lopez” (directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera, Spain 2018).
But what comes up from managing such an exciting movie festival? HelloMonaco asked Ezio Greggio (E.G.), president of the Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie.
HelloMonaco: Mr Greggio, we can feel in the air a great first-edition spirit, which is the secret of this vitality?
E.G.: Comedy always awakens enthusiasm so that this 16th edition of MCFFC is even more inspired by a great selection of movies having love stories as common ground with many expectations. Love that crashes down, strange love, lovers divided by war and conflicts. These are just some situations the comedies deal with. I think that this festival will convey many lovely messages. So, who knows if we succeed in instilling love to the world from the Principality.
«The 2019 edition of MCFFC results from a great event management, chaired by Ezio Greggio, that keeps it so vital and update through international comedies that deal with interesting topics to be unveiled during this week», concluded H.E. Cristiano Gallo, Ambassador of Italy in the Principality. Let us plunge into the Comedy, then!
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To learn more about the official program please visit: http://www.montecarlofilmfestival.net
