The first International Archaeological Film Festival is coming to Centuripe.

The city of Centuripe, Sicily, is increasingly a protagonist in the cultural sphere. After the opening of the new Antiquarium Exhibition Center and the archaeological site of Riparo Cassataro, after the return to the city of the portrait of Augustus that had been missing for 83 years and will be exhibited at the local Regional Archaeological Museum, now in the center in the province of Enna comes also an original festival on archaeological cinema. From August 27 to 30, in fact, the splendid Piazza Duomo in Centuripe will be transformed into the most prestigious stage in Sicily by hosting the I International Archaeological Film Festival Augustus Prize .

The rich program includes the screening of two films per evening whose theme is archaeology and archaeological research, a roundup of internationally produced films and documentaries that find a particularly suitable venue in Centuripe since the city has one of the most important archaeological heritages on the island. The jury of the festival will be the public who will be able to vote for their favorite film each evening, and at the conclusion of the three evenings the Augustus Award will be presented to the most voted: the title of the prize is not accidental but coincides with another important event that will take place on August 28, the date on which, as anticipated, the most beautiful portrait of Emperor Caesar Augustus found in Sicily is scheduled to return to Centuripe after 83 years, and which will be destined to become one of the most iconic works on the island. During the evenings, between the screening of the two films in competition, there will be speeches by cultural personalities such as Stefano Bucci, prestigious signature of Corriere della Sera; Antonio Natali, internationally renowned art historian who directed the Uffizi for many years; and Giorgio Romeo, journalist and Director of Sicilian Post.

Still, on August 30, a special event will be the screening of the out-of-competition film Sicilia Grand Tour 2.0 dedicated to Jean Houel, an 18th-century French architect who, during his trip to Sicily, stopped for a long time in Centuripe, leaving behind important drawings of ancient Roman monuments. The festival is organized by the Municipality of Centuripe with the magazine Archeologia Viva, has the patronage of the Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana and the contribution of the Assessorato al Turismo. Admission is free and access to the screening area will be regulated according to the law. Following is the program.

Friday, August 27, 9 p.m.

Tutankhamun, the secrets of the pharaoh: a warrior king
Toutankhamon, les secrets du pharaon: un roi guerrier
Country: United Kingdom - Director: Stephen Mizelas - Duration: 50’ - Production: Blink Films Production, with the participation of France Télévisions / France 5, National Geographic, Channel 5, SBS-TV Australia
Language: Italian
Tutankhamun is one of the last pharaohs of the 18th dynasty. His fabulous treasure, discovered intact nearly a century ago, has made him the most famous and studied pharaoh in history. His tomb’s trousseau is an endless source of information about ancient Egypt, but also about this young king, whose reign is still a mystery. Who was he really? A frail child-king or a warlord? Did he die of illness or killed in battle? Three objects with which the pharaoh rests help archaeologists reveal his true face....
Speech by Stefano Bucci - Corriere della Sera

Pompeii 3D, a buried history
Country: Italy - Director: Maria Chiffi - Duration: 26’ - Scientific advice: Francesco Gabellone - Production: Archeo Tour srl
Language: Italian
Pompeii, buried in 79 A.D. by the eruption of Vesuvius, comes to life again through this documentary film capable of recreating in 3D, places, environments and situations exactly as they were originally, with the aim of taking visitors/viewers on a sort of journey through time and being able to virtually relive one of the most important archaeological sites in history.

Saturday, August 28, 9 p.m.

The mysterious volcano of the Middle Ages
Le mystérieux volcan du Moyen-Âge
Country: France - Director: Pascal Guérin - Duration: 52’ - Production: Kwanza, CNRS Images, Blink Films, IRD - Scientific advice: Franck Lavigne, LGP CNRS Meudon, Jean-Christophe Komorowski, IPGP, CNRS, Myriam Khodri, IRD
Language: Italian
The film foregrounds the painstaking research and study work of scientists to understand how the most terrifying volcanic eruption in living memory that occurred in Indonesia in the 13th century transformed the entire planet’s climate and ecosystems leading to hunger and epidemics.
Talk by Giorgio Romeo - Director of Sicilian Post

Choquequirao, the sacred geography of the Incas
Choquequirao, la géographie sacrée des Incas
Country: France - Director: Agnès Molia, Nathalie Laville - Duration: 26’ - Scientific advice: Thibault Saintenoy - Production: Christie Molia
Language: Italian
The Incas, the last arrivals on the Andean scene, in the 15th century built the largest empire America had ever seen. Without knowing either writing or the wheel they proved to be brilliant architects, constructing huge stone buildings and multi-level terraces for agriculture.

Sunday, Aug. 29, 9 p.m.

Gladiateurs, the return
Gladiateurs, le retour
Country: France - Director: Emmanuel Besnard, Gilles Rof - Duration: 26’ - Production: Cyrille Perez, Gilles Perez
Language: Italian
More than fifteen centuries after their disappearance, gladiators have returned to the amphitheater of Arles in France, with fighting and training. Promoter of this return is a martial arts expert who has devoted his life for the past 20 years to meticulously reconstructing the rules and context of these ancient battles. Far from the fanciful Hollywood versions, the film offers a new vision of what was the first great spectacle in human history.
Talk by Antonio Natali - Art Historian (former Director of the Uffizi).

Stonehenge - Bringing back the dead
Country: Austria - Director: Nick Gillam-Smith - Duration: 50’ - Production: Terra Mater Factual Studios, Oxford Scientific Films, in association with Channel 4 -
Language: Italian
Stonehenge, Britain’s most famous prehistoric site, has remained an enigma for centuries. Now a team led by renowned archaeologist Mike Parker Person has made some extraordinary discoveries that can answer many questions. For example, it will be discovered that the first stones laid on the site were actually markers of ancient tombs.... Stonehenge was thus originally a large, circular prehistoric cemetery, completely different from what it appears today.

Awards Ceremony - Awarding of the Augustus Prize to the film most liked by the audience

Monday, August 30, 2021

Out of competition

Sicily Grand Tour 2.0
Country: Italy - Director: Giorgio Italia - Duration: 90’ Production: Fine Art Produzioni - Scientific advice: Alessandra Cilio, Lorenzo Daniele
Language: Italian
Giorgio, a young university student, finds some old volumes in the library: they are full of papers, sketches, drawings, stories. The boy is so fascinated by the tale that Jean Houel, an 18th-century French architect, manages to weave of Sicily, that he decides to explore this island. He will thus discover that the words of Houel, who called Sicily the most curious place in the universe, are still true today.

Photo: view of Centuripe (Credit Municipality of Centuripe)

The first International Archaeological Film Festival is coming to Centuripe.

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