44th Filmets film festival set to begin with an Italian flavor

The 44th edition of the Filmets Film Festival in Badalona, just north of Barcelona, this year has an Italian flavor. The festival, from October 19 to 28, will pay tribute to Ninetto Davoli, the favorite actor of director Pier Paolo Pasolini, who will also have a screening of his work.

Meanwhile, the Filmets festival, which specialises in short films, will also show the world premiere of a reworking of Giulio Antamoro's 1911 version of 'Pinocchio,' a silent film that has been given a new soundtrack of electronic music.

More Italian involvement will also be found at a conference organized for industry professionals, which will see the attendance of seven Italian production companies, who will be in Badalona with a 10-million euro European subsidy to fund coproductions.

The above events are an example of the commitment by the organizers of Filmets to not only make the festival an international reference point for short films, but also a focal point and meeting place for professionals in the industry.

220 films, 50% premieres

The program has 220 films entered in the official competition, half of which are premieres in Catalonia or Spain as a whole. While most of the films taking part are from many different places, 26 of them are Catalan productions, six of which are from Badalona itself.