Ferzan Ozpetek receives the SIAE Award

The SIAE Award, bestowed on a filmmaker for outstanding lifetime achievement at Giornate degli Autori, will be going to Ferzan Özpetek, who follows in the footsteps of the 2019 winner, Marco Bellocchio.
The organizers have released the following statement:
“The award bestowed on Ferzan Özpetek is a tribute to a modern icon of Italian cinema, a filmmaker whose intimate stories, often redolent of his country of birth, Turkey, have dissected life in Italy for over twenty years. His films epitomize the kind of cinema whose lifeblood is the society it examines while attempting to better it at the same time. This award, handed to Özpetek by the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers, is also meant to encourage filmmakers to continue their exploration of different art forms, from the adaptations of famous operas, once exclusively ‘highbrow,’ which have been reinvented by Özpetek in accessible, modern versions; to his collaborations with singers and songwriters whose songs, used in his films, have become part of the collective imagination. Last but not least, his career as an author, now on his third book, who can conjure up the magic of Istanbul and the family bonds, serendipitous encounters, and hopes and secrets of life in Rome, from when he first arrived to the present day. Assigning the award to Özpetek is potent recognition of his inclusive gaze, which has accustomed us to contemporary families, reacquainted us with lost traditions and overlooked corners of our cities, and escorted us into the new millennium, thanks to their artistry.”
“This is a great honor, one that makes me extremely proud,” declares Özpetek, “because it comes from an organization that has always represented the interests of artists and arts professionals. Moreover, a recent collaboration I had with SIAE was quite fruitful: it welcomed my idea of celebrating a ‘Physicians’ Day’ next February 20th and got it officially recognized at the highest levels. My thanks in particular go to SIAE President Mogol and Managing Director Gaetano Blandini.”
Following the awards ceremony, SIAE Managing Director Gaetano Blandini, Giornate President Andrea Purgatori, and its General Delegate Giorgio Gosetti will join Ferzan Özpetek on the stage as the filmmaker meets with Venice audiences.
For more details, see Giornate degli Autori website.