Ezio Greggio: “The presence of Paul Haggis, director, screenwriter and producer, two-time Oscar winner, confirms Monte Carlo Film Festival tradition to have great Presidents of the Jury. Major cinema expert, ironic and wit, Paul loves comedy as we love him, and we are thrilled to welcome him here in the Principality with movies coming from Canada, Columbia, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden and other countries.”

Paul Haggis: “I have often been asked to list my favorite films, and I always refuse. It is impossible. As soon as I list ten, I think of twenty more, so, I just don’t do it. That said, if I really truly had to make a list, I think some people would be surprised that comedies would be at the very top of the top. (…) “Long way of saying I am thrilled to be president of this year’s jury and I really look forward to laughing my ass off with others in a dark room all week. Thanks for allowing me to do it, and allowing me to add to the list that I will never make (…)”

High-profile standing, Paul Haggis (“Million Dollar Baby”, “Casino Royale”, “In the Valley of Elah”, “The Next Three Days”) can count on a long list of movie productions during his career as screenwriter and director in “Crash”, three-time Oscar winning movie for best movie, best original screenplay and best editing.

Monte-Carlo Film Festival mainly aims at promoting and spreading comedy in its different facets through competing and non-competing movie premieres. A unique occasion in the international scenario for this beloved movie genre, often wrongly considered of minor importance by critics, which thanks to Ezio Greggio and the lamented maestro Mario Monicelli (co-founder of the Festival) endeavors contributed in its revaluation also among other international festivals as Cannes, Rome and Venice.

As it happened last year, The Montecarlo Film Festival de la Comédie, considered one of the most important and peculiar Film Festival exclusively dedicated to Comedy, in the years has achieved a growing estimation from the audience and critics worldwide, opens after the enormous success of last edition, a section all dedicated to Short Films, The Short Comedy Award, aimed to directors, actors, producers who make short film comedies. All information and registration are available through “ Filmfreeway “ , one of the largest international Festival sites.

The event, in collaboration with EFG Bank ( Monaco), has always been held under the High Patronage of S.A.S. Prince Albert II de Monaco and of the Italian Embassy. Like last year, Radio Monte Carlo is the official Radio of the Festival.