The Palacultura di Messina (Messina’s House of Culture) will play host to the inauguration of the 58th Taormina Film Fest on June 22nd, with the discussion “The Castellitos: A Family d’Auteur.” Renowned actor and director, Segio Castellito, along with his wife, the author/playwright/actress Margaret Mazzantini will lead the discussion along with their son, the actor Pietro Castellitto.
The film critic, director and journalist Mario Sesti, and public relations agent Tiziana Rocca are wearing another hat for the Festival, as Curator and General Manager respectively. 
The Taormina Film Festival is set to follow a new theme this year, that of d’auteur, or those directors considered to have their own unique and artistic vision in their own genres: comedy, family, and horror. 
An overview of the programme includes film openings, special screenings, and evening presentations. Here are some of the highlights: Paolo Cortellesi will inaugurate the Festival on June 23rd at the Teatro Antico of Taormina, while (actor and filmmaker) Carlo Verdone will close the festivities on June 28th. And, who better than Sofia Loren as chair of the 58th edition of the Taormina Festival?
Meanwhile, the seven days in between will be full of exciting events and, in particular, festival goers can view a preview of Italian films to come entitled “Pre-visioni – Lavori in Corso” (“Previews – Works in Progress”), with presentations by the filmmakers themselves (Fausto Brizzi, Michele Placido, Marco Risi, Massimiliano Bruno, and Pupi Avati). 
And, given that Sicily has been the homeland of the prestigious Film Fest for 58 years now, attendees will gain a particular perspective on the island itself, through projections of works by Sicilian filmmakers, including one with Taormina as protagonist, “L’altro piatto della bilancia.”