N.I.C.E. Festival Uzbekistan 20231° EditionSamarcanda / NOV 1 - 4

Opening Speech

N.I.C.E. Festival is now in its 33rd edition and we hope to be able to repeat the success recorded over these decades. Always keeping its mission well in mind, N.I.C.E. has in fact succeeded in creating a circuit of events around the world capable of making the new Italian auteur cinema known. The great sensitivity and openness to all that is new in the visual culture of the public that we have encountered in our travels, drives us forward year after year, taking full advantage of the various opportunities offered to us, such as, for example, streaming platforms.

N.I.C.E. starts from its historical home, the USA, in the cities of New York, Philadelphia and Washington, to end the year with the “City of Florence – Donatella Carmi Bartolozzi” Prize, which celebrates the winning film of the current selection.

During these years of N.I.C.E’s activities, the Italian Cultural Institutes and Embassies have encouraged us to take our festival to new places, including Dublin, Riga, Dubai and Baku. N.I.C.E. moves in a constant search for new solutions, opening the festival to promotional initiatives. The real driving force, however, always remains the small but very active staff that spends its energy to ensure that new Italian cinema is known and appreciated. Moreover, let us not forget the fundamental help given by bodies such as the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Florence, the Region of Tuscany, and Rai Cinema.

The films selected for 2023 include works from established directors and first and second works of great value, ranging from comedy to drama, proving how, despite the difficulties of recent years, Italian authors are more active and motivated than ever.

A Brighter Tomorrow

by Nanni Moretti

Fireworks

by Giuseppe Fiorello

Jailbird

by Andrea Magnani

The First Rule

by Massimiliano D'Epiro

Amanda

by Carolina Cavalli

Project carried out in the framework of Programma Sensi Contemporanei Toscana per il Cinema