Who are the candidates lining up to take over from Venice Film Festival supremo Gillo Pontecorvo? A strong contender, as Moving Pictures finds out, is Gillo Pontecorvo
With all the speculation surrounding the succession of Gillo Pontecorvo, let's attempt to put some order to the rumours. The most likely candidate, for at least the next year, appears to be Gillo Pontecorvo.
For the past four years, he has waged a campaign to simplify the administrative structure of the Biennale. It would be a pity, just as the war is about to be won, to lose the architect of such an arduous enterprise.
In addition to this, he has put the Mostra back into some kind of shape against fierce competition from less bureaucratic and more prosperous festivals which have established firmer identities. He could always move up to become festival president, which would ensure a smooth transition under Deputy Prime Minister Veltroni's new laws, which will bring substantial additional funding from state and private sources. Since he is not interested in administration and has expressed a desire to return to filmmaking, he could stay on for one more year to groom his successor.
Here are a number of possiblefrontrunners, who might be likely to receive the blessing of Pontecorvo:
* Irene Bignardi, critic for La Repubblica has been a constant and loyal supporter and adviser to Gillo. She holds strong views on movies and has never been scared to express them. Her growing sense of diplomacy, her broad cultural expertise linguistic talent, strong literary background and a winning personality and her sheer determination have to be considered as major assets.
* Felice Laudadio One timeco-host and major sponsor of Bignardi's directorial talents. He is a true festival professional who has managed to run significant festivals with very little support, changing cities smoothly, and hooking onto new ideas. He's good in a crisis and has consistently come up with viable ideas, even managing to persuade Italian Railways to create a special cinema train to take guests of his events around the country. He is also from the left, and has lately tamed his legendary temper.
Unlikely to receive Pontecorvo's support are candidates like:
* Marco Muller director of the Locarno Film Festival and one-time Biennale collaborator for the Asian section. Muller has the temper to match Laudadio (and Pontecorvo!) and the experience, but many feel he may have burnt a few too many of his bridges already.
* Nanni Moretti he was offered the job when Pontecorvo wanted to quit and then subsequently changed his mind.
* Peppuccio Tornatore he has the advantage of having won an Oscar and the popularity that brings abroad. He was offered the Taormina festival some years ago, but refused after much deliberation.
* Bernardo Bertolucci implausible as it may seem, with some innovative formula such as an executive director like Enrico Ghezzi, this one might just work
* Franco Zeffirelli or Pasquale Squitieri both right wing filmmakers. Together with the other (older) directors mentioned, it seems that none of these make sense as Italian cinema desperately needs its filmmakers to be busy making films.
The other possible runners are: Lino Micciche (professor and creator of Pesaro with newspaper critic credentials); Edoardo Bruno (editor of Filmcritica); Giorgio Gosetti (Pontecorvo's right hand man); Tullio Kezich (critic of Corriere della Sera). And what about a return for Gugliemo Biraghi (or even Gian Luigi Rondi)? Or a really completely different one, such as Umberto Eco? Don Ranvaud
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