The fifth goal outlined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reads: «Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls». Despite some encouraging developments, parity is far from being achieved. A recent study by the European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA) shows that only one in five European films is directed by a woman. Guided by these findings, we decided to create an annual festival dedicated to the female gaze in cinema and the visual arts. Contemporanea was built with the ambition to support the next generation of women filmmakers and advance the impact of their work in the world. Based in Turin, the festival is committed to fostering a discursive space to explore the transformative power of images; using the past to illuminate the present, in order to shape a more equitable future. The many directorial debuts in our line-up reflect Contemporanea’s mission to champion emerging talent. On the other hand, the decision to dedicate the festival’s first edition to timeless icon Monica Vitti reminds us that history is always contemporary. Through cinema, visual arts and in-depth conversations with creative minds who are shaping our cultural landscape, we aim to create a space where women artists can experiment and innovate, building a community of independent storytellers.
The festival's annual programme includes fiction and documentary features, short films, and moving image artworks. It also host filmmaker conversations, panel discussions, and Q&As. The visionary works in the line-up are distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling.