One of the most extraordinary actresses of contemporary cinema, Helen Mirren will receive the Taormina Film Festival Achievement Award during a special evening dedicated to Anna Magnani, a symbol of authenticity and expressive power in Italian and international cinema history. On Friday, June 12, the restored version of Bellissima, directed by Luchino Visconti, will be screened at the Ancient Theatre to celebrate the film’s 75th anniversary.

The patroness of this year’s Festival will be Anna Valle. An actress of remarkable elegance and talent, with a solid and refined artistic career, she has distinguished herself through her versatility and charisma, from major television productions to intense roles on the big screen. Her authentic and incisive style, combined with a magnetic stage presence, has made her one of the most beloved and respected actresses in the contemporary Italian scene.

This year’s Taormina Film Festival jury is composed of leading figures from the international film scene, each bringing a unique and authoritative perspective. It will be chaired by New

Zealand director Jane Campion, one of the most authoritative and refined voices in contemporary cinema and a former winner of the Palme d’Or and an Oscar. Joining her are:

–     Holly Hunter: for her performance in the film The Piano (1993), she won the Oscar for Best Actress, the BAFTA, the Golden Globe, and the Prix d’interprétation féminine at the Cannes Film Festival. She was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for Broadcast News (1987), for which she won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, and for Best Supporting Actress for The Firm (1993) and Thirteen (2003). Also nominated for seven Emmy Awards, Hunter has won two.

–      Miyako Bellizzi: an Oscar-nominated costume designer for her work on Josh Safdie’s film Marty Supreme (2025), she also designed the costumes for Safdie’s films Uncut Gems (2019) and Good Time (2017). Her work can also be seen in Oliver Hermanus’s The History of Sound, starring Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal, a film nominated for the Official Selection at Cannes in 2025.

–      Francine Maisler: one of Hollywood’s most influential casting directors, she was nominated for the first-ever Oscar for Best Casting (a category established in 2026) for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. She has worked with the greatest contemporary directors: Denis Villeneuve (Dune trilogy), Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman, The Revenant), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Greta Gerwig, Michael Mann, and Barry Jenkins. She is a two-time Emmy Award winner for the series Succession and The Studio.

–      Akinola Davies Jr.: a British-Nigerian filmmaker, he is one of the most significant breakthrough talents in international cinema of 2025. His debut feature film, My Father’s Shadow, won the BAFTA, the British Independent Film Award, the Gotham Independent Film Award, and the Caméra d’Or in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes 2025, and was selected to represent the United Kingdom at the 2026 Oscars for Best International Feature Film.

–     Sue Kroll: Head of Global Marketing, Film, Series and Brand at Amazon MGM Studios, where she has led marketing for acclaimed hits including Project Hail Mary, Fallout, and The Summer I Turned Pretty. Previously, as President of Worldwide Marketing and Distribution at Warner Bros., she championed films by Christopher Nolan, George Miller, Ben Affleck, and Baz Luhrmann, including Best Picture winner Argo and Best Picture nominee Mad Max: Fury Road. She also founded and led her own production company, Kroll & Co. Entertainment, where she served as an executive producer on the Academy Award-winning hit drama A Star Is Born.

–     Pietro Castellitto: actor, director, and screenwriter, he is one of the most original voices in contemporary Italian cinema. Winner of the David di Donatello and Nastro d’Argento awards for Best Debut Director for I predatori (2020), he received the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay at the Venice Film Festival. His second film, Enea (2023), was presented in competition at the 80th Venice Film Festival. In 2025, he won the Nastro d’Argento for Best Actor in a Comedy Film for Diva Futura.

This year’s Festival will be divided into four sections: The International Feature Film Competition; the Out of Competition section; Special Events at the Ancient Theatre; and the new Short Film Competition section, featuring films shot in Sicily that aim to promote the region. The films in the program will span all genres, giving voice to current issues of great cultural significance. They will include at least national premieres and will come from countries and directors around the world, in keeping with the festival’s international spirit.

The first film announced, which will have its world premiere as a special event at the Teatro Antico, is Bear Country by Derrick Borte. The film stars Russell Crowe, Luke Evans, Teresa Palmer with Nina Dobrev and Aaron Paul. Produced by Jeffrey Greenstein and Mark Fasano, and distributed in Italy by Gianluca Curti‘s Minerva Pictures, the story revolves around the legendary owner of a famous club whose retirement plans are shattered after a robbery, leaving him targeted by a cartel and dealing with a mysterious buyer.

Michael Zelniker‘s The Struggle for Mother Water will be screened in the Out of Competition section. The documentary series explore the many disturbing dimensions of the global water crisis, how women worldwide are leading a determined, inspiring fight to protect and defend water – for their families, their communities, for all of life.

Also, on the program is a panel discussion on Thursday, June 11, titled “Women Beyond the Lens”. This event is dedicated to extraordinary women who have redefined their roles in cinema, culture, and the audiovisual industry. Participants will include: the event’s patroness, Anna Valle; the jury president, Oscar-winning director Jane Campion; casting director Francine Maisler; costume designer Miyako Bellizzi; Oscar-winning actress Holly Hunter; Sue Kroll, Head of Global Marketing at Amazon MGM Studios; singer Malika Ayane; French actress Clotilde Courau; director Francesca Archibugi; Brazilian actress and writer Fernanda Torres; and young actress Romana Maggiora Vergano.

Once again this year, the Youth Campus jury, which will award the Cariddino d’Oro, was formed in collaboration with the ANEC Sicily regional chapter.

ARCA Enel is participating for the first time in the 72nd edition of the Taormina Film Festival with a cultural and educational project that will involve young people, as well as adult members, in screenings, meetings with filmmakers, masterclasses, and group discussions on the films, to award the ARCA Prize for Best Italian Film.

During the Festival, the General Assembly of FACE – Federation of European Film Academies will also take place. FACE brings together 23 film academies from across Europe, alongside the European Film Academy. This prestigious event, which for the first time also involves the Taormina Festival, aims to share knowledge and developments, promote common initiatives supporting European cinema, strengthen diversity, inclusion and sustainability efforts, and foster collaboration in film education and audience development throughout Europe.

All the festival awards are exclusively crafted by master goldsmith Gerardo Sacco, with the creativity and unique style that set him apart.

Once again this year, Giovanni Ventura, Artistic Director for Wella, is creating the hairstyles for the stars who will walk the red carpet – a lineup of artists, Oscar winners, and many familiar faces from Italian cinema.

Makeup artist Orazio Tomarchio, along with his Truccheria Cherie, will be handling all the makeup for the festival’s celebrities in Taormina.