Lovers Festival 33rd Edition: LGBTQI Cinema in Turin with New Artistic Director Irene Dionisio

The 33rd edition of Lovers, the LGBTQI film festival in Turin, runs under new artistic director Irene Dionisio. Founded by Giovanni Minerba, the festival features 81 films, 56 national premieres. A key innovation is the Iconoclasta section, dedicated to experimental cinema, developed in collaboration with Artissima fair and the Centre d'Art Contemporain (CAC) in Geneva. This partnership, initiated by CAC director Andrea Bellini and Artissima director Ilaria Bonacossa, includes an annual event where the Iconoclasta winner presents their work in Geneva and at Artissima. The section includes five film slots, performances by Cosimo Terlizzi, Brice Coniglio, Irene Pittatore, and Francesca Arri, and a focus on French filmmaker Bertrand Mandico. Dionisio, a woman and heterosexual, emphasizes the creative dialogue with founder Minerba. The festival aims to address LGBTQI rights in Italy, where basic rights are still lacking, and uses art to break silence on discrimination. The selection criteria include LGBTQI relevance, aesthetic value, and balance between militant and artistic merit.