Messina Opera Film Festival

A unique festival between cinema and melodrama

The Messina Opera Film Festival is a one-of-a-kind cinematic event in Italy: the only festival entirely dedicated to the intersection of cinema and opera. The festival takes place every December in the heart of Messina, at the evocative Sala Laudamo annexed to the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, under the artistic direction of Ninni Panzera, former general secretary of Taormina Arte. Organized in close collaboration with the Municipality of Messina, the festival explores the relationship between these two arts from the origins of silent film to the present day.

A history spanning decades

The event's roots date back to 1995, when a film festival was born at the Sala Milani, running for six editions until 2001. After a long hiatus, the festival was reborn in 2023 with a new identity centered on the marriage of cinema and melodrama, described by Panzera himself as "a small, rigorous festival of ideas." Each year, the program is structured to traverse three great eras: the age of silent film, the sound period of the 1930s-1950s, and contemporary production.

Program and sections

The festival is divided into numerous sections that intertwine great cinema and operatic masterpieces:

• Silent film with live music: screenings of early films inspired by operas, accompanied by ensembles and live musical performances, often entrusted to students of the Corelli Conservatory of Messina.
• International Short Film Competition: a competition that collects over a thousand opera-themed works from numerous countries each year, with cash prizes for the winners.
• Contemporary Panorama: a showcase dedicated to the most recent international productions.
• Retrospectives and tributes: dedicated from time to time to great composers and performers of melodrama.
• Masterclasses, concerts, and book presentations on the relationship between cinema and opera.

Messina, city of melodrama

The choice of Messina is no coincidence: the city on the Strait, in Sicily, boasts a deep musical and theatrical tradition, guarded by the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele. The festival, which has received recognition from the Ministry of Culture and adheres to a network of national film festivals, also bears the Sustainable Festival label, attentive to ecological and green practices. Most events at the Sala Laudamo are free to attend.