14th Edition of the Short Film Festival in the Castellana Caves
Around forty guests including actors, directors and journalists are expected for the long stage of the Salento Finibus Terrae in the evocative Caverna della Grave from 25 to 27 July.
Castellana Grotte, July 21, 2016 – The partnership between Sa.Fi. Ter, the International Short Film Festival now in its 14th edition, and Grotte di Castellana srl is being strengthened.
Following last year's success, in 2016 the Castellana Caves will be the focus of southern Italy's most prestigious event, with three days of events, from July 25th to 27th, featuring artists and screenings of feature and short films. This unique location, approximately seventy meters underground, is filled with age-old concretions and breathtaking scenery that will provide the backdrop for the large screen positioned at the center of the first cave, the Grave, where spectators can experience unforgettable emotions.
“After 13 years of festival held in the land of Brindisi – he concluded Romeo Count – Salento Finibus Terrae, with its 14th edition, migrates to the province of Bari, to the municipalities of Conversano, Polignano a Mare, and Castellana Grotte. Geographically, these locations cannot be considered Salento, but they are so unique and singular that the festival is honored to host them and proud to contribute to enriching them with its cinema, events, and talent. As for the Castellana Grotte stop, the best program was concentrated in this extraordinary and timeless location, with screenings and prestigious guests. The strong partnership established with the Grotte company, which has supported us since last year, strongly believing in the project, aims to promote unforgettable experiences, combining culture with the breathtaking scenery of the Grave, approximately seventy meters underground. These unique experiences, I would like to emphasize, are completely free: culture and beauty truly accessible to everyone. In addition to thanking President Domi Ciliberti and all the members of the Board of Directors, a heartfelt thanks goes to the mayor of Castellana Grotte, Professor Franco Tricase, for his patronage and his continued support. This year, in addition to tripling the number of events, we have established a close relationship with the town thanks to screenings at the IRCCS De Bellis auditorium and the involvement of all the schools in Castellana Grotte. This is a tangible sign of the networking that unites and creates synergies, as well as boosting an entire region's tourism, culture, and economy. Over the years, the festival has achieved many goals with great success," he concluded. Tale Among these, one of the most important was highlighting the new generations of Italian and international directors who, with their short films, have lit up the screen in these places of extraordinary beauty. I am convinced that, even more so in this edition, we will leave unique memories in the hearts of all who come to join us.
Marco D'Amore – protagonist of the successful series “Gomorrah” – Francesco Ghiaccio, Veronica Pivetti, Chiara Rapaccini, Massimo Wertmuller, Giorgio Amato, and Gianmarco Tognazzi are some of the guests of Salento Finibus Terrae who will meet fans in the evocative Caverna della Grave. This unique setting will frame these three intense and emotionally charged days, thanks to the evening screenings of the films “Non Volarti Indietro,” “Un posto sicuro,” and “Né Romeo né Giulietta,” as well as a rich selection of arthouse shorts starting at 3:00 pm. The famous rapper Clementino has also confirmed his presence.
"It happened, as happens in all happy ending stories – commented the president of Grotte di Castellana srl, Domi Ciliberti– that the encounter between the Castellana Caves and Salento Finibus Terrae was immediately magical. We imagined the Grave cave as the most fascinating and captivating of movie theaters. Thinking of a place that has been the guardian of time for a hundred million years, feeling the depths of Mother Nature's womb while the music resonates and the stage expressions dance, could only garner the approval and enthusiasm that resides in the director's sensibility. Romeo CountWith each passing year, the partnership grows stronger and the desire to be together grows, as in true love stories. These will be evenings spent enjoying the magnificence of what is not just a cave, much less a simple cavern: it is the deep refuge where the drops have marked the rhythm of time, where everything began and where nothing will ever end. A warm welcome to all the organizers, competition participants, artists, and all those who wish to reach the heart of the earth to spend, with us, truly magical and moving moments.".
All meetings are free of charge until seats are filled. Reservations are required and must be made by filling out the online form on the website. www.grottedicastellana.it For info, call 0804998221 every day from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Le Castellana Caves For over 90 million years, they have guarded an enchanted place where nature has created scenes of unimaginable beauty. Unique works of art, shaped by the force of water and hidden in the dark womb of the Earth. Stalactites, stalagmites, and concretions in the most unusual shapes and evocative shades of color alternate in a continuous dance punctuated by the dripping water that, even today, continues to nourish such splendor.
For seventy-seven years, over fifteen million visitors have been able to admire the three kilometers of underground passage that ends in the marvelous White Grotto, a large cavern unique in the world for its total whiteness.
The Castellana Caves, a complex of underground karst caves located in the municipality of Castellana-Grotte, about 1,5 km from the town, are open year-round and offer guided tours led by professional guides, who speak English, German, and French, in addition to Italian. A full tour costs €15, with discounts available for groups and affiliated visitors.
The Castellana Caves have also been recognized as the only ones accessible caves in Italy Thanks to the CASA project, a team of specialized operators, specifically trained to allow all visitors with disabilities to experience the sensory emotions of the underground environment, ensuring maximum safety.
Also unique is the opportunity to explore the Castellana Caves, experiencing the emotions of the first discoverers thanks to Speleonight, a sensory tour by reservation that takes place in the dark, equipped with a helmet and headlamp. A breathtaking experience to admire the caves guided by the expertise of true speleologists.
The Castellana Caves also offer the possibility of experience unique emotions thanks to major events which are organized periodically inside the large Caverna della Grave; a setting of incomparable beauty that has already served as the backdrop for musical concerts with artists of the caliber of Vinicio Capossela, Gino Paoli, Nada, Ron, Servillo, as well as high-profile cultural events, including Stefano Benni and Luca Bianchini, Umberto Galimberti, Massimo Cacciari, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi. For several years, the Castellana Caves have also hosted Hell in the Cave, the largest underground show in the world featuring astonishing aerial dances and fantastic scenography. Inspired by Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, it is sold out at every performance. Many cultural and musical events are also expected in 2015, in addition to the third edition of “Christmas in the Caves” and “Nativity Scenes in the Caves”.
The Castellana Caves are also proud to host some stages of the Salento Finibus Terrae International Festival and the Itria Valley Festival.
Experiencing the Castellana Caves means immersing yourself in an experience that engages every sense, rediscovering profound emotions tied to ancestral memories, and rediscovering the essence of beauty, uncontaminated and pure.
And not only.
Today, the Castellana Caves are a world to be discovered and rediscovered every day of the year.
Castellana Caves, a wonder of Puglia.
Info. www.grottedicastellana.it
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