For six days in July, the KinoApennino event saw Italy’s Central Apennine mountains transformed into an open-air film workshop. Guided by creative filmmakers, local residents stepped in front of the camera to help craft a range of moving short films — captivating audiences and sparking fresh enthusiasm for rewilding.
The big screen comes to a small town
This summer, an event called “KinoApennino” saw the Central Apennines rewilding landscape in Italy transformed into a hub of cinematographic creativity, as the town of Pettorano sul Gizio and its surroundings became a vast, open-air film set. The pioneering “cinema jam session” saw dozens of film-makers — some from overseas — team up with local residents to create a range of short movies in record time. Two evenings of screenings in the town drew large, enthusiastic audiences, strengthening the connection between people, place, and the powerful stories inspired by the Apennine landscape.
Organised by the Rewilding Apennines team, KinoApennino offered a unique opportunity to engage both local residents and international visitors with the themes of rewilding and nature recovery. Many of the short films produced during the event focused on these subjects directly, while others took broader inspiration from nature or explored different themes — reflecting the diversity and creative freedom that defined the gathering.
Community-focused cinema
At the centre of this artistic creativity and diversity, one element stood out — the active involvement of the local community.
“This was really heartwarming, because we didn’t know quite what to expect before the event,” says Angela Tavone, Communications Manager for Rewilding Apennines. “From sharing ideas and preparing sets and scenery, to assisting during filming and acting in films, it was fantastic to see KinoApennino capture the hearts and minds of so many residents and visitors. I think we ended up with a lot of new rewilding enthusiasts.”
“Meeting new and talented people — like the director of the film I starred in — was an incredible experience,” adds Pettorano sul Gizio resident Pierpaolo De Panfilis, who acted in one of the films created through KinoApennino. “Despite never having acted before, I discovered it came quite naturally to me. Doing it alongside such talented people was enriching and really enjoyable.”
Films, friendship and fun
KinoApennino took its inspiration from the “KinoKabaret” movement, which was born in Canada in 1999 and has since grown in popularity across the globe. KinoKabaret is essentially a film making workshop lasting several days, which gathers together amateur and professional film makers from all over the world to create short, low budget (or no budget) films. The emphasis is on shared effort, experimentation, and enthusiasm — plus a healthy dose of friendship and fun.
In addition to the dozens of local residents and businesses that played a role in KinoApennino, the event welcomed more than 40 participants from across Europe and beyond. In the lead-up, an open day held in June helped prepare the community, giving the Rewilding Apennines team a chance to introduce some of the incoming directors’ ideas and requests. This early engagement ensured that local people were not just hosts, but active collaborators in shaping the stories told on screen.
“What struck me most about this first edition of KinoAppennino was the professionalism and kindness of the oganisers,” says Marco Griffini, a director of photography from Italy. “This, combined with the beauty of the location and the courtesy of local residents, made it an unforgettable event that played a vital role raising awareness about the need to protect and enhance wild nature.”
Lights, camera, action!
The KinoApennino event was divided into two sessions. These both began with introductory meetings, when stories were shared and production teams formed, made up of directors, sound technicians, camera operators, actors, actresses, assistants, and extras. A total of 18 films were shot over the six days — from educational productions promoting the responsible use of natural resources, to introspective shorts on rewilding; from stories in which the lush nature surrounding Pettorano sul Gizio helps people heal, to others where the regenerative power of water inspires a sense of rebirth; from super–ironic “quickie” videos, to longer films with elaborate plots.
More than 200 people gathered together to watch these films, which were shown across two evenings at the beautiful outdoor theatre of Pettorano sul Gizio’s Palazzo Zannelli. The sense of community was enhanced by the screening of some additional films sponsored by CinemAbruzzo as part of the travelling “Uppennino” festival, which shares short films produced in the region of Abruzzo. The programme also featured Crackdown, a short film produced by Rewilding Apennines and shot entirely in Pettorano sul Gizio last year. Addressing the pressing issue of wildlife poisoning, the film added a powerful, real-world dimension to the screenings and underscored the vital connection between cinema and conservation.
Back by popular demand
For those that missed the screenings in July, all of the films produced through KinoApennino made an encore in Pettorano sul Gizio on August 24. The event was such a success that the Rewilding Apennines team is thinking about organising a second edition. Stay tuned!
KinoApennino was organised by Rewilding Apennines, in collaboration with the Municipality of Pettorano sul Gizio, the Monte Genzana Alto Gizio Nature Reserve, and the Valleluna Cooperative. The Rewilding Apennines team would like to thank the local partners and CinemAbruzzo for supporting the event.
