EZIO GREGGIO: “WELCOME TO THE 14th EDITION OF THE MONTE CARLO FILM FESTIVAL”

Dear Friends, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 14th edition of the “Monte Carlo Film festival”, the first worldwide manifestation entirely dedicated to comedy.
As usual, I would like to start reflecting on the results obtained by all movies presented by the festival in last year’s edition and then develop on the success of this year’s Cinema comedy releases worldwide.
I would start by mentioning “Lost in Munich”, an unusual comedy that our festival presented last year. The movie was then a candidate as “Best Foreign Language Film” for the Czech Republic at the 2017 Academy Awards.
Also presented during last year’s festival, “Men and Chicken” won for best director with academy award winner Oscar Anders Thomas, while “Anacleto Agente Segreto”, awarded as “Best Movie” and “Best Actor” at last year’s MCFF, encountered great commercial success.
Last year’s edition also presented the world premiere of “Marie et les Naufragés”. The movie was subsequently selected for the 33rd International Turin Festival in November.
I would also mention “Je Me Tue à le Dire”, a special and exhilarating Belgian comedy that obtained a special mention at last year’s festival for Jean-Jacques Raisin’s incredible performance. After being screened at the festival, the movie participated at more than 30 festivals including the 15th Transylvania International Film Festival and 51st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Let’s now look at comedies that have signed last year’s cinematographic journey starting by “La La Land”, the award-winning musical that received both the public’s and critique’s acclaim, written and directed by Damien Chazelle and magnificently interpreted by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Another work that deserves to be mentioned is “Café Society”. Woody Allen’s movie claimed notable success also due to the great interpretation of comedy’s king, Steve Carrell supported by Jesse Eisenberg, Kirsten Stewart and Blake Lively. The movie’s photography was fantastically interpreted by 3 time academy award-winner, Vittorio Storaro, who presided the Monte Carlo Film Festival’s 11th edition. In Italy, Checco Zalone’s “Quo Vado” faced tremendous success with a record breaking 70 million Euros at the box office. A special mention must also be given to Paolo Genovese’s “Perfect Strangers” awarded with “Best Screenplay” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.
Comedy is becoming a global vehicle for important messages and unique stories such as the portrait of “Florence Foster Jenkins”, interpreted by an extraordinary, unforgettable and fascinating Meryl Streep.
Comedy remains the most loved cinematographic genre for an audience, who like never before deserves a message of hope and a smile on their face. As the legendary Charlie Chaplin used to say, “Life is not a tragedy in the foreground, but a comedy in long-range.”
Long live comedy, long live the Monte Carlo Film Festival, the home of film comedy.
Ezio Greggio.