Taormina Film Fest

Taormina Film Fest
Director Joel Schumacher at Taormina Film Fest in 2003 (Italian premiere of Phone Booth)
Location	Taormina, Italy
Language	International
Official website

Taormina Film Fest, a historic film festival, and Italy's oldest began in 1955 under the name Rassegna Cinematografica Internazionale di Messina e Taormina. The exhibition, which moved permanently to Taormina in 1971, has hosted over the years many stars of international cinema: Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich, Sophia Loren, Cary Grant, Robert De Niro, Colin Firth, Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Tom Cruise, Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas, among others. The Festival is an "A" Festival in FIAP accreditation. The award of David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006. The David de Donatello is considered Italy's premiere film award, its equivalent to the American Oscars. [edit]History

The David di Donatello Awards were first given in Rome in the spring of 1955. The aim was to honour the best of each year’s Italian and foreign films, similar to the American Oscars. Similar prizes had already existed in Italy for about a decade (for example, the Silver Ribbons), but these were voted for by film critics and journalists. However, the Davids have been and are awarded by the people in the industry: screenwriters, performers, technicians, producers and so on. The ceremonies were held at the Greek Theatre in Taormina, then twice in Florence, and finally returned to Rome, always with the support of the President of the Republic and now with the collaboration of the Rome City Council Cultural Policies Department.

The festival was directed from 1999 to 2006 by Felice Laudadio, who has brought to Sicily major names in world cinema. The 2004 festival was its fiftieth anniversary.

From 2007, the director is Deborah Young, for many years the vice-director under Laudadio. The event has hosted, for several years, the award ceremony for the Nastro d'Argento in Italian cinema, a competition in which many international films preview. It takes place in the city's Greek Theater. Enrico Ghezzi, director from 1991 to 1998, renamed the show TaoFest.

Directors of Taormina Film Fest

• Enrico Ghezzi (1991-1998)
• Felice Laudadio (1999-2006)
• Deborah Young (2007)

Past Recipients of Taormina Film Awards

TAORMINA FILM FESTIVAL 1955-2008 - ALBO D’ORO ACTORS'' Marlon BRANDO Jack NICHOLSON Liam NEESON Richard BURTON Antonio Al PACINO Tom CRUISE Robert REDFORD Michael DOUGLAS Sean CONNERY Dustin HOFFMAN Warren BEATTY Robert DUVALL Cary GRANT Henry FONDA Peter O'TOOLE Laurence OLIVIER Jack LEMMON Walter MATTHAU Marcello MASTROIANNI Rex HARRISON Charlton HESTON Rod STEIGER BANDERAS Gary COOPER Willem DAFOE Yves MONTAND Jean-Louis TRINTINGNANT Matt DILLON Alain DELON Vittorio GASSMAN Giancarlo GIANNINI Hugh GRANT (Taormina Arte Award 2002), Fred ASTAIRE Philippe NOIRET Charles LAUGHTON (David di Donatello 1958), Martin BREGMAN (David di Donatello 1976), Dino DE LAURENTIIS (David di Donatello 1957, 1961, 1965, 1966, 1968), Isabelle ADJANI (David di Donatello 1975, 1976), Julie ANDREWS (David di Donatello 1966), Brigitte BARDOT (David di Donatello 1961), Ingrid BERGMAN (David di Donatello 1957 Claudia CARDINALE (David di Donatello 1961, 1968, 1972 -Nastro d’Argento 2000 ), Julie CHRISTIE (David di Donatello 1967), Dame Judi DENCH (Taormina Arte Award 2004), Faye DUNAWAY (David di Donatello 1968), Melanie GRIFFITH (Taormina Arte Award 2000), Susan HAYWARD (David di Donatello 1959), Audrey HEPBURN (David di Donatello 1960, 1962, 1965), Mia FARROW (David di Donatello 1969), Jodie FOSTER (David di Donatello 1977), Goldie HAWN(David di Donatello 1970) , Jennifer JASON LEIGH (Taormina Arte Award 2001), Isabelle HUPPERT (David di Donatello 1980 –Taormina Arte Award 2002), Olivia HUSSEY (David di Donatello 1969) , Jennifer JONES (David di Donatello 1975), Deborah KERR (David di Donatello 1959), Gina LOLLOBRIGIDA (David di Donatello 1963, 1969 -Taormina Arte Award 2001), Sophia LOREN (David di Donatello 1961, 1964, 1965, 1970, 1974), Melina MERCURI (David di Donatello 1965), Miriam MAKEBA (Taormina Arte Award 2001), Marilyn MONROE (David di Donatello 1958), Barbra STREISAND (David di Donatello 1969, 1974), Elizabeth TAYLOR (David di Donatello 1960, 1967, 1972), Lana TURNER (David di Donatello 1966), Liv ULLMANN (Lino VENTURA (David di Donatello 1974), Greta SCACCHI (Taormina Arte Award 2002), Maria SCHNEIDER (David di Donatello 1973), Hanna SCHYGULLA (David di Donatello 1980, Taormina Arte Award 2007), Maggie SMITH (Taormina arte Award 2004), Mira SORVINO (Taormina Arte Award 2004), Shelley WINTERS (David di Donatello 1977),

DIRECTORS & PRODUCERS Stanley KUBRICK (David di Donatello 1969, 1977) , Francis F. COPPOLA Martin SCORSESE David LEAN Peter WEIR Pedro ALMODOVAR Steven SPIELBERG Milos FORMAN Akira KUROSAWA Stephen FREARS Roman POLANSKI Sydney POLLACK Paul SCHRADER Joel SCHUMACHER Ingmar BERGMAN John SCHLESINGER Jane CAMPION Robert ALTMAN Michelangelo ANTONIONI Bob FOSSE John HUSTON Norman JEWISON Stanley KRAMER Vittorio DE SICA Federico FELLINI Robert BRESSON Richard BROOKS Milena CANONERO Sofia COPPOLA Sergio LEONE Joseph LOSEY Gillo PONTECORVO Andrej TARKOVSKIJ Hugh HUDSON Giuseppe TORNATORE Krzysztof ZANUSSI Franco ZEFFIRELLI Luchino VISCONTI Billy WILDER Mike LEIGH John SCHLESINGER (David di Donatello 1970, 1972, 1980), Steven SPIELBERG (Nastro d’Argento 1999), Paul SCHRADER (Taormina Arte Award 2008), Joel SCHUMACHER (Taormina Arte Award 2003), Martin SCORSESE (David di Donatello 1977), Tatum O'NEAL (David di Donatello 1974), Geraldine PAGE (David di Donatello 1963), Irene PAPAS (Taormina Arte Award 2005), Carlo PONTI (David di Donatello 1964, 1965, 1967), Jay PRESSON ALLEN (David di Donatello 1980), Charlotte RAMPLING (Taormina arte Award 2005) Vanessa REDGRAVE (David di Donatello 1972), , Franco ROSSI (David di Donatello 1961), , Nino ROTA (David di Donatello 1977), Albert S. RUDDY (David di Donatello 1973), Sam SPIEGEL (David di Donatello 1958, 1964), Dante SPINOTTI (Nastro d’Argento 2000), Ray STARK (David di Donatello 1980), Vittorio STORARO (Nastro d’Argento 1999 –TAORMINA ARTE AWARD 2001), Ennio MORRICONE (Nastro d’Argento 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 –Taormina Arte Award 2002), Margarethe VON TROTTA (Taormina Arte Award 2004), André TÉCHINÉ (Taormina Arte Award 2007), Darryl F. ZANUCK (David di Donatello 1963), Jack L. WARNER (David di Donatello 1957, 1965),

External links

• Festival official website