"It was not so obvious to be once again here with the Festival. After all, there is no obvious or certain conclusion in this field in Italy, where Culture (and the Cultural Heritage), is considered an item that can be deleted from the budget, at the very first signs of crisis. According to some forecasts, more than 100 festivals will be totally cancelled in our country. But there are important values at stake, as our conscience as people and our historical, cultural and social heritage. We need to recreate a network between people and not to surrender to the pressing illusions of those who would reduce everything to a collective and passive acquiescence. Perhaps it’s not enough if we only resist. Despite all this, Visionaria makes a higher bid with a quality program, full of meetings, and having one of the most important directorsin Italy among its guests, Pupi Avati. Also renewing the appointment with the students of the town of Piombino, we have then invited the schools of music and dance of the town that will be offered the opportunity to be on the stage of Visionaria. Of course we wanted to do more, for example by organizing forums for debating and presenting other subjects and authors deserving the attention of the public or being remembered, as the director Corso Salani for instance, recently died at the age of 49; or by promoting a whole course of shooting and editing. But it was not possible. Next year Visionaria is going to be 20, a goal that few festivals can reach, and we hope, as such “visionaries” as we are, to be able to put into practice all those ideas that, unfortunately, today remain only ideas. And if we are still here, credits must be ascribed mainly to the Municipal Administration of Piombino andthe Province of Livorno which we  to have with us along a still long way together."

 

Mauro Tozzi, Artistic Director of Visionaria International Film Fest