The Monte Carlo Film Festival, the most important international festival entirely

dedicated to comedy, this year too it will take place in the prestigious venue of the

Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, where screenings and

meetings with the most beloved protagonists of international cinema: Hollywood,

Italian and French which will culminate with the usual “Awards Gala” evening of

Saturday 29th April.

Also this year all the films that we will see in competition and out of competition at Monte

Carlo Film Festival, will be judged by an international jury composed of

President Giancarlo Giannini, cinema legend, international actor, voice actor,

screenwriter and film director who recently received the star of

Walk of fame (nominated for Oscars for "Seven Beauties", "Casino Royale"; and

"Quantum of Solace". Alongside Giannini, Richard Anconina, French actor in

many films with Jean Paul Belmondo; the international star Nathalie Poza, (Award

Goya for best actress for "I can't say goodbye" and for best actress not

protagonist for "La Boda de Rosa", "Rifkin's Festival") and Neri Marcorè, actor,

comedian, singer and voice actor (Silver Ribbon for "Il Cuore Altrove";

"The Second Wedding Night").

THE GUESTS, THE GALA EVENING AND THE AWARD WINNERS

For the two Italian films out of competition present at the festival: BIG GUAIO

ALL'ESQUILINO: THE LEGEND OF KUNG FU will be present at the festival

during the opening night on Monday 24th April Lillo Petrolo and Younuts! and in

closing Friday 28 April for the film A MONSTROUS MARRIAGE the director

Wolfgang De Biasi.

As per tradition, the festival will conclude with the gala evening on Saturday 29 April,

which this year will have as guest of honor Prince Albert II of Monaco, evening

conducted by the President and creator of the event, Ezio Greggio. At his side

Elenoire Casalegno will be the host, together with friends and colleagues from

world of TV and cinema, will award the films in competition, Italian stars and

international, arrived in the Principality of Monaco to celebrate the twentieth edition

of the festival. The special guest of the Monte Carlo Film Festival will be the director,

Greek screenwriter and film producer naturalized French Costa-

Gavras, who will be awarded the “Legend Award” for his 54-year career that

earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film

“Missing”, a victory at the Cannes Film Festival as Best Director for the film “The Affair”

of the special section and many other international awards.

There is also great anticipation for Mira Sorvino, who won an Oscar in 1996 for the film “The Goddess

of love” (Woody Allen) and award-winning American actress and producer, daughter of

great Italian-American actor Paul Sorvino (“Goodfellas”). Mira Sorvino will be a guest

of the “Awards Gala” evening and will receive the MCFF Award for his career and films

which made it famous throughout the world.

The actress, protagonist of many successes and President of the

Onlus of Every Child is my child, Anna Foglietta (“Perfect Strangers”,” The

American” “Nobody Can Judge Me”) who will receive the “Actress of the Year” award

for the films that made her one of the most loved and appreciated actresses by the public

Italian.

This year, the special Next Generation Award will be received, an award aimed at

new faces of cinema and television, will be Federico Cesari ( “Skam”, “Anni da

dog”, “Good Morning Mom”) for “Everything Asks for Salvation”, the exclusive miniseries

Netflix based on the book of the same name by Daniele Mencarelli which deals with a theme

very delicate: that of mental health and fragility.

To the director, actor and screenwriter Marco D'Amore, much loved by the public all over the world

the world, for having played the role of Ciro Di Marzio in "Gomorra-La Serie" and for

his first work "L'Immortale", thanks to which he won the Nastro d'Argento as

Best New Director, Ezio Greggio will recognize the MCFF Award “for his

extraordinary successes in series and at the cinema”

Last but not least, for the first time at the Festival one of the most beloved Italian actors

public, Marco Giallini, the award-winning actor winner of 3 Silver Ribbons for

“ACAB- All Cops are Bastards”, “It's All Freud's Fault” and “Perfect Strangers”

will receive the MCFF Career Award.

Among the young international talents, Ezio Greggio will also award Victor Belmondo,

very young French actor who is following in the footsteps of his paternal grandfather, the

great and unforgettable Jean Paul Belmondo and who is destined to have a career

exceptional. Among the personalities who will be present at the evening, Piero Chiambretti,

Barbara D'Urso, Mario De La Rosa (La Casa di Carta), who returns to the Festival after

having been part of the jury two years ago.

THE PROGRAM

The opening film of the festival is BIG TROUBLE ALL'ESQUILINO: THE

LEGEND OF KUNG FU (Out of competition, Italy) directed by YouNuts! with Lillo

Petrolo, Carolina Crescentini and Giorgio Colangeli.

Below are the films in COMPETITION:

In 38°5 QUAI DES ORFÈVRES by Benjamin Lehrer (In competition, France),

Masterfully using and distorting all the codes and ingredients of the greats

thriller and polar, the director has fun with the audience, making them participate

to investigate a particular serial killer, continually surprising him in a game

of irresistible mirrors. Grand Prix at the Festival de l'Alpe d'Huez, the film will be released in theaters

French in June. With Caroline Maria Anglade, Didier Bourdon, Yann Papin

Carine Ribert.

THE GRUMP IN SEARCH OF AN ESCORT (In competition, Finland) directed by

Mika Kaurismaki, tells the story of an elderly gentleman on the hunt for an Escort

(car) with a whole series of adventures that lead him to travel until he reaches

a brothel, where the misunderstanding of the escort-prostitute is created.

EMPIEZA EL BAILE (In competition, Argentina) directed by Marina Seresesky is

a funny and nostalgic Argentine comedy with tango, starring Darío

Grandinetti most recently seen in “Talk to Her” by Pedro Almodóvar.

DANIEL'S GOTTA DIE (In competition, USA/Canada) the American comedy,

politically un-correct, by Jeremy Lalonde, a story of meanness between brothers who

they hate.

EL TEST (In competition, SPAIN) by Dani de la Orden is based on the well-known work

theatrical production of the same name which achieved enormous success with the public and critics. The film

raises a universal debate, what would you choose, one hundred thousand euros now or a million

in ten years? With Alberto San Juan, Miren Ibarguren, Carlos Santos and Blanca

Suarez.

LUXEMBOURG LUXEMBOURG (In competition, Ukraine) by Antonio Lukich narrates the

search for the father of two very different Ukrainian brothers who go looking for him.

A story about the missing pieces of life and the need to find yourself while

we are confronted with our opposite.

FATHERS AND MOTHERS (In competition, Denmark) directed by Paprika Steen is a

beautiful Nordic comedy that tells the story of relationships between young parents, the relationship

of the couple and that with other families. The need to constantly compare

with the parents of their children's friends and having to find their own space in this

micro society within society.

Cesc Gay returns to the Festival after the victory of “Sentimental” with HISTORIAS PARA

NO CONTAR (In competition, Spain) a funny and brilliant surreal comedy

episodes with an incredible and international cast. The cast includes Chino Darín, Antonio de

la Torre, Javier Rey, Anna Castillo, Àlex Brendemühl.

OUT OF COMPETITION:

Out of competition, in addition to "BIG TROUBLE ALL'ESQUILINO: THE LEGEND OF THE

KUNG FU", two exceptional films: A MONSTROUS MARRIAGE (Italy) by

Volfango De Biasi sequel to "A Monstrous Family" which sees the family of

vampires and monsters reunite for more surreal comic adventures. The cast includes Paola

Minaccioni, Ilaria Spada, Massimo Ghini, Cristiano Caccamo and Ricky Memphis.

EL QUAARTO PASAJERO (Spain) by Alex de la Iglesia, which tells the story of the

Julian, a fifty-year-old from Madrid, divorced and with money problems, who in order to save money

uses a car-sharing app. The cast includes Alberto San Juan, Blanca Suárez,

Ernesto Alterio and Rubén Cortada.

The event, in collaboration with EFG Bank (Monaco) and Marlù Gioielli, will

has always been held under the High Patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and

of the Italian Embassy. Like last year, Radio Monte Carlo is the official Radio

of the Festival.

Like every year Marlù Gioielli participates in the festival with an important message:

Marlù encourages us to follow our dreams, just as cinema makes us dream and run.

imagination and creativity, cinema dream factory… actors actresses have their own

dreams to realize and have their own GOLDEN RULES to achieve them.