SalinaDocFest is an International Festival of Narrative Documentary that takes place in Salina every year. The island of Salina is also the seat of Panaria Film, the first production company dedicated to the underwater documentary, and the core of an event which involves all of the Aeolian islands, the minor islands of Sicily, and Sicily itself. SalinaDocFest aspires to be a workshop for the narrative documentary, from the south to the north of the Mediterranean sea, all the way to the shores of the United States, Brazil, and Argentina; countries connected to Italy through a shared history of immigration and emigration.
SalinaDocFest was born of the observation that it is possible – and necessary – to document reality through “storytelling”. Such vision, far from diminishing the essence of the documentary film genre, has expanded its audience due to its more universal quality .
Giovanna Taviani – Aeolian by adoption, with a background truly saturated in cinema, is the artistic director and soul of the festival. She has always considered the festival an opportunity for the development of the archipelago, as well as the whole of Sicily, due to the touristic draw of the Aeolian Islands.
One of SalinaDocFest’s main goals is to catalyze the media’s attention to the Island by means of a compelling and well-structured events program, championed by internationally renowned guests. Due to the work of the SalinaDocFest staff in cultivating relationships and creating remarkable proposals, this program of events is not only limited to the dates and location of the Festival, but also embraces a wider geographical and temporal platform.
Indeed, throughout the year SalinaDocFest engages in meetings, partnerships, and collaborations with other initiatives in Italy and abroad (the United States, South America, North Africa), with the double aim of broaching relevant dialogues and of presenting the world with a constructive image of Sicily: intense, colorful, compassionate and dedicated in its values.