Torino Film Festival Fields 10 Women Directors in 16-Film Competition

Ten of the sixteen films in the Torino Film Festival's feature competition are directed by women, the second year in a row the Italian festival has hit that mark. For the first time, the short-film selection matches the proportion.

Artistic director Giulio Base rejects any suggestion that the numbers reflect affirmative action. "This is part of a worldwide trend in the film industry," Base said. "Women are already doing great work, so it's not about percentages. I only care about good films, and there are plenty of them."

The 44th edition, known for championing first and second features, carries unusual star power for a emerging-talent showcase. Three competition titles pair established arthouse actors with rising female filmmakers:

• "Butterfly" by Itonje Søimer Guttormsen, starring Renate Reinsve
• "When She Hears the Bells" by Chabname Zariab, starring Golshifteh Farahani
• "The Last Day" by Rachel Rose, led by Alicia Vikander and Wagner Moura

Recent festival breakouts round out the lineup, among them Muriel D'Ansembourg's "Truly Naked," Sarah Arnold's "Too Many Beasts" and Amira Duynhouwer's "Sugar."

How does Torino choose its films?

To sift through more than 5,000 submissions, Base assembled a gender-balanced selection committee and recruited every member before they turned 30. He calls that generational mix essential to the process.

"Ultimately, the question of women comes down to who's watching the films," Base said. "I'm the old guy, so I want fresh eyes on work coming in from all over the world. When the six young men and women and I sit down to discuss the selections, I realize we all watch differently, and I always benefit from the exchange."

Base also refuses to chase premiere status. "I'm not obsessed with securing world premieres," he said. "I don't think the Turin public goes around the world's festivals saying, 'I've already seen it.' I'd rather choose the strongest films out there."

Who judges the competition?

Three women-led juries will mark the anniversary edition. Director Francesca Archibugi ("Vivere") chairs the feature competition. Film legend Stefania Casini ("1900," "Suspiria") oversees the documentary jury, and Chiara Francini ("Miracle at St. Anna," "Drag Race Italia") handles shorts.

The festival's Marilyn Monroe retrospective will enlist an all-female roster of journalists and academics to introduce the films. "Marilyn was so often seen as a sensual object," Base said. "For me, it's important that 24 women share their perspectives to show that she was so much more than that."

What stands out in this year's selection?

The program spans 120 titles across six sections, and youth stories dominate — fitting for a festival born as the Festival Internazionale Cinema Giovani, literally the Festival of Young Cinema.

Base singles out "Thirteen in Gaza" by Palestinian filmmaker Hosam Abu Da, a recent TIFF winner and, in his words, "the first film shot and completed in Gaza in 12 years."

"I think it's important to hear voices like this, even if the director can't attend for the reasons we all know," Base said. "People shouldn't miss this one."

He is even more emphatic about "Good People," a documentary by Venice Golden Lion winner Milcho Manchevski about a disco fire in Macedonia roughly 20 months ago, similar to the New Year's Eve blaze in Crans-Montana. Base called it "probably the film that affected me most during this selection process."

"The people he interviewed gave such touching, unsensationalized testimony about what it was like to be there," Base said. "It's a great documentary, and enormously moving."

Looking ahead, Base — who holds a doctorate in theology — frames his ambition in biblical terms. "I'd like to take the festival to the top of the charts," he said. "It's not easy, because we have maybe a tenth of what the big festivals have, but sometimes David beats Goliath."