Press release, 2020-10-21 Italian Director Matteo Garrone Named 2020 Stockholm Visionary Award Winner #sthlmfilmfest

Byline: Stefan Baroni At the 31st edition of the Stockholm International Film Festival, the Stockholm Visionary Award 2020 is given to the award-winning director Matteo Garrone, who has been praised by both critics and film lovers for his latest film interpretation of the classic tale of the wooden doll Pinocchio – a massive success in Italy. Garrone has already made a name for himself internationally with films such as Gomorrah, Dogman and Tale of Tales. He is now being awarded with the world's heaviest film prize, the 7.3 kg heavy Bronshästen (Bronze Horse). Motivation: This year, Italian director Matteo Garrone is awarded the Stockholm Visionary Award. He moves freely across genre boundaries and has shown evidence of creating both masterful fantasy tales and cinema verité. With recurring elements of film art and exquisite visual elements, Garrone revives Italian neorealism and is one of Europe's most interesting contemporary voices. An extremely well-deserved recipient of the Stockholm Visionary Award 2020.

stockholmfilmfestival.se – Matteo Garrone is visionary in his filmmaking and is currently in a film landscape between Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton. His adventurous imagination seems to know no bounds. It is with great pleasure that we award him the Stockholm Visionary Award 2020, says Git Scheynius, Festival Director

In Garrone's live-action interpretation of the classic Italian saga, we get to know wood carver Geppetto, played by Oscar- winning Roberto Benigni, whose wooden doll Pinocchio is brought to life under magical circumstances. With groundbreaking technology, astonishing special effects and makeup, signed twofold Oscar-winning Mark Coulier, and stunning Italian landscapes, Garrone recreates the world-famous story of Pinocchio like we have never seen before. The film had its international premiere at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020.

Swedish distributor is Edge Entertainment.

Stockholm Visionary Award was established in 2004. Previous winners of Stockholm Visionary Award are Roy Andersson, Peter Greenaway, Jacques Audiard, Wes Anderson and Céline Sciamma, to name a few.

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Press contact: Theodor Smart Randquist +46 76-870 13 68 [email protected]

Stockholm International Film Festival | 11-22 November 2020 Stockholm International Film Festival started in 1990 and is one of the leading film festivals in Europe. During twelve intense days in November the festival presents 150 film premieres from more than 60 countries. In 2020, 75 films will be screened in cinemas and via the festival’s digital platform, due to the current pandemic. We also arrange exclusive screenings for our members throughout the year, Sommarbio in August, mobile film workshops for kids and teenagers, Stockholm Film Festival Junior in April and Secret Locations Screenings. WE LOVE FILM!

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