Taormina 72nd Edition Confirms Mirren, Crowe, Eastwood
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- The 72nd Taormina Film Festival (June 10-14) has confirmed Helen Mirren, Russell Crowe, Scott Eastwood, and Gore Verbinsky among attendees, mixing crowdpleasers with competition and out-of-competition titles from Turkey, Iran, Congo, Japan, Germany, Italy, and Cuba.
- Russell Crowe will attend the world premiere of Australian action thriller "Bear Country" in Taormina's ancient Greek theatre (in the shadow of Mt. Etna), reuniting with "Unhinged" director Derrick Borte alongside "Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul.
- Jane Campion — a two-time Academy Award winner and the first woman to win the Palme d'Or — will preside over the jury, joined by Holly Hunter, Amazon MGM's Sue Kroll, costume designer Miyako Bellizzi, casting director Francine Maisler, and director Pietro Castellitto.
- Helen Mirren will receive a lifetime achievement award, while Scott Eastwood will hold a student masterclass and collect an award of his own.
- The festival opener will be the Italian premiere of HBO's "House of the Dragon" Season 3 first episode, with stars Steve Toussaint, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, and Phoebe Campbell set to attend the Greek amphitheater launch.
- Tiziana Rocca, back at the Taormina helm since 2025 after being forced out in 2017 due to political infighting, has introduced a Short Film Competition section this year with eleven works tied to Sicily — her second expansion move after reinstating the main competition last year.
- Giuseppe Tornatore will be honored with the Golden Globes Prize for Documentary for his docufilm "Brunello: The Gracious Visionary" about fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli, Italy's "King of Cashmere."
Why it matters: Festival revamp architect Tiziana Rocca is using a Campion-led jury, a Crowe world premiere, and an HBO blockbuster opener to reposition the Sicilian event as a serious international destination — not a regional stop, with the 11-film Short Film Competition signaling a second-year bet on programming depth.
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