XXI SondrioFestival

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FLM FESTIVAL ON PARKS

October 15-21, 2007

From October 15 to 21, 2007, the city of Sondrio was once again the world capital for cinematography dedicated to parks and nature reserves with SondrioFestival, the International Documentary Film Festival on Parks.

For over twenty years, SondrioFestival’s goal has been to share knowledge and the culture of protected areas through the selection and projection of films made exclusively in those areas.  The films are not just high quality documentaries; they are a privileged look at the parks that would otherwise remain unknown to the general public.  The films are subsequently archived in the “Protected Area Documentary Centre” in Sondrio and make up a precious source for environmental culture.

SondrioFestival is an event that has become a reference point for documentary producers and directors around the world.  It offers an ample range of scientific and naturalistic perspective of high-level nature parks.  It is a real journey through the world of naturalistic, ethnographic documentaries in order to promote, study, and research nature, landscape, art and culture connected to similar international experiences.

Documentaries about national parks, natural reserves and protected areas in general can participate in the festival and their multiple aspects: naturalistic, ethnographic, historical and managerial.  The meeting presents documentaries chosen from the best produced worldwide.
An international jury made up of film directors, naturalists, reporters and the winning director from the previous edition select and judge the work that participates in the competition.

The international film festival, for the 21st edition, could also boast that Sondrio was named the “Alpine City of the 2007”, naturally, a source of inspiration for an outing in protected areas.  For the occasion, the festival added a new prize for the best documentary about the environment, territory, culture and the traditions of the Alps.

Besides the nightly projection of the nominated documentaries, numerous events were connected to the meeting that livened up the city of Sondrio for a week of films, shows, discussions with authors and artists, exploration and lessons about the territory and protected areas.  It was an interesting opportunity to meet that involved an ever-growing public, in particular, children, teenagers and students of all ages, the most sensitive and determined groups for the future of our planet.

Every year, the festival presents a specific naturalistic or environmental theme offering the possibility to reflect on the present and future of our planet, to promote biodiversity and to safeguard protected areas through splendid, previously unpublished images from around the world, and to dream.   

Giuseppina Fàpani Antamati is a Councilperson for the City of Sondrio and the president of Assomidop, (the entity formed by the City of Sondrio, the Club Alpino Italiano, Bim Consortium, Stelvio and Parco delle Orobie Valtellinesi National Park, that has organized the event since 1998).  After twenty years, her goal for SondrioFestival is to take a new direction that would consolidate the success of the past and to be able to involve the City in and ideal mix with the celebration of “Sondrio, Alpine city of 2007.”