Reggio Film Festival 2023 explores AI and the future through short films

The 22nd edition of the Reggio Film Festival is underway in Reggio Emilia, Italy, running until November 12, 2023. The festival, an International Short Film Contest, centers on the theme of 'Futuro' (Future), with a special focus on the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in art and daily life. The festival's symbolic image was created using AI systems, as noted by artistic director Alessandro Scillitani. The program opens with a night dedicated to the political and civil situation in Palestine, featuring a selection of short films from the Nazra Film Festival in original language. Beyond screenings, the festival includes a live sonorization of Georges Méliès's 'Le Voyage dans la lune' by Lorenzo Valdesalici and Alessio Vanni, a cinema lesson by Roberto Manassero on how past directors interpreted the future, a roundtable on literature and the future with Natalia Guerrieri, Andrea Viscusi, Silvia Tebaldi, and Maico Morellini, and a meeting with Nicola Guarino (CNR AI researcher) and another Nicola Guarino (first Italian director to make a short entirely with AI) discussing future identities. Another roundtable by Marco Zanichelli will address creativity and AI. The festival also explores the future of new generations, from Iran to war zones, climate change, and contemporary uncertainties.