The Taormina Film Festival completed its 71st edition with “For Your Sake” by Axel Monsú by winning the first prize. The Argentinian film tells the story of a young girl played by Sabrina Melgarejo, whose life is limited by poverty and an oppressive religion until she decides to try to take charge. The prize for the best director went to Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza for their Iraqi war film “Warfare”, which is played in real time and is based on real events experienced by Mendoza who wrote the script with Garland.
The Jury-Led by Da’vine Joy Randolph, and included Academy Award Winning Costume Designer Sandy Powell, Training Variety Vice-Pres of Steven Gaydos and Italian Actresses Ilenia Pastorelli and Alessandra Mastronardi-Gave the Acting Honors to Ebada Hassan, Who Starred in Nadia Fall’s “Brides” and Geoffrey Rush for the Thriller “The Rule of Jenny Pen,” In Which He played with John Lithgow.
Rush had already received a Taormina Excellence Prize earlier at the festival. Likewise, Honorés de Prix, Michael Douglas, Catherine Deneuve, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Billy Zane, James Franco, Rupert Everett and Olivia Wilde. The largest traction of the festival was almost certainly Martin Scorsese, who received a life prize and spoke with emotion of the Sicilian roots of his family.
After being placed in her post only three months before the start of the Sicilian festival, artistic director Tiziana Rocca managed to create a celebration which included both high -level Hollywood talents alongside Italian stars such as Luca Zingaretti (“Ispettore Montalbano”), Salvatore Esposto accompanied by her husband Tim Burton and presenting From “Malena” by Giuseppe Tornatore to her 25th anniversary in the old Greek theater.
