The Garden-in-Movies Film Festival, launched in 2017 as part of the Radicepura Garden Festival – International Landscape Festival (Giarre, Catania) and now in its fourth edition (August 1-2-3, 2025), explores the theme of gardens through cinematic storytelling. It adopts a broad perspective that embraces every dynamic in which fundamental cultural, political, social, and artistic values can be cultivated. Nature and landscape, but also ecology, sustainability, education, culture, human rights, social engagement, and environmental awareness.
The festival spans three days of screenings, discussions, and conversations with distinguished guests. It features three different sections for feature films: “Radici” (Roots) – Italy, “Essenza Mediterranea” (Mediterranean Essence) – Mediterranean Countries,”Oltre il Giardino” (Beyond the Garden) – Rest of the World Additionally, there is a competitive section dedicated to short films: the Garden-in-Movies/ShortFilmFest, an international short film competition based on a specific theme. A panel of esteemed judges and a popular jury will award the Best Short Film Prize and the Audience Award, respectively.
The event takes place in a stunning location: Radicepura Park (Giarre, Catania), which transforms into an open-air botanical lounge and an outdoor cinema under the stars for three days during the first weekend of August. The setting is enriched by the scents and fragrances of the park’s plants, nestled at the foot of Mount Etna with a view of the sea.
The Garden-in-Movies Film Festival is conceived and directed by Ornella Sgroi, journalist and film critic, and is organized by the Radicepura Foundation, chaired by Mario Faro.
Through cinema, the Garden-in-Movies Festival aims to highlight nature and the environment as a driving force for development and cultural exchange. It expands beyond the traditional concept of a “garden,” interpreting it as a metaphor for landscape and life, carrying a deep cultural, political, and social significance. In the name of Beauty.
Born in Catania on May 14, 1978, Ornella Sgroi is a journalist, film critic, writer, screenwriter, and producer. She is also the author of columns, programs, and formats for television, radio, and the web, as well as podcasts. She has been involved in cinema for twenty years, also covering culture, entertainment, and social issues.
She collaborates with Corriere della Sera and SicilianPost, as well as with Cinematografo, the Rai Uno program by Gigi Marzullo. She is also a regular guest as a film expert on two Tv2000 shows: L’Ora Solare by Paola Saluzzi and Di Buon Mattino.
She is the artistic director of the Garden-in-Movies film festival, which she conceived in 2017 for the Radicepura Botanical Park.
She is the author of the literary short story collection Le contraddizioni del mentre (Le Farfalle, 2015), with a foreword by director Roberto Faenza. In 2020, she published È la coppia che fa il totale. Viaggio nel cinema di Ficarra e Picone with HarperCollins, featuring a preface by Roberto Andò. The book was awarded the Efebo d’Oro and the International Literary Prize “Nino Maroglio”.
She conducted the interviews for the documentary L’AntiGattoparda (2014) by Alessandro Aiello and Giuseppe Di Maio, dedicated to Catania-born writer Goliarda Sapienza, author of L’arte della gioia.
In 2018, she co-wrote the story and screenplay for the short film Magic Show with director Andrea Traina. Starring an unprecedented Nino Frassica, the short was launched on RaiPlay on May 20, 2022, for the International Day Against Gambling Addiction.
She is the co-writer and co-producer of the short film Stanza 5 (2023), directed by Rosario Capozzolo, produced in collaboration with Tramp Limited and Rai Cinema. Starring the remarkable Milena Vukotic, the film was selected in competition at the Giffoni Film Festival 2023.
She also co-wrote the short film Il taglio di Jonas (2024) alongside Ludovica Isidori, who handled cinematography, and Rosario Capozzolo, who directed it. The film won awards at multiple festivals, including the San Diego Film Festival.
She is the writer and director of the podcast Cenere. Catania, luglio 2023, available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Mattia Arena, 24 years old, holds a degree in DAMS from the University of Bologna and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Cinema, Television, and Multimedia Production at Roma Tre University. He worked as an assistant director on the set of La Terra Senza, the debut film by Moni Ovadia starring Donatella Finocchiaro, and attended a course for television writers organized by Banijay Italia in collaboration with Università Cattolica of Milan, enhancing his skills in writing and developing audiovisual content.
Over the years, he has also gained significant experience in the organization of cultural events and international festivals, actively participating in the Rome Film Fest, Taobuk Festival, Capri, Hollywood, and Los Angeles, Italia. Passionate about cinema, he approaches every project with enthusiasm, combining a rigorous and analytical mindset with a deep artistic sensitivity, always seeking new stories to explore and share.
Roberto Zito holds a degree in Modern Philology from the University of Catania. He was a finalist in both the first and fourth editions of the film criticism competition Scrivere di cinema – Premio Alberto Farassino, organized by the Cinemazero Association, the Pordenonelegge Foundation, and the National Union of Italian Film Critics.
Over the years, he has collaborated with the University of Catania in organizing the Learn by Movies film forum and has worked as a short film selector for the international short film section of the Garden-in-Movies festival. In 2023, he graduated from the two-year Writing and Storytelling School at Viagrande Studios.
He made his literary debut with the novel Chiodo della terra, published by Scatole Parlanti in 2022, which won the “Ju Buk Opera Prima” award at the Ju Buk Festival 2023, under the patronage of the Municipality of Scanno (AQ) and the Abruzzo Region. The novel was also among the selected works for the XXVI Premio Città di Cuneo per il Primo Romanzo and was a finalist in the 5th edition of the “Una storia per il cinema” Literary Award.
