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Florence Independent Cinema International Film Festival
JURY
Our jury consists of filmmakers, critics, and film professionals passionate about independent cinema.
Each submission is evaluated with attention, respect, and a focus on artistic quality and originality. It is continuously updated, bringing together new perspectives and experiences
MATTEO BONECHI
EMANUELA MASCHERINI
Matteo Bonechi is an Italian composer, songwriter, and performer born in Prato in the 1980s. His work moves across music, theatre, and cinema, with a particular focus on the narrative power of sound and song.
Since 2008 he has collaborated as an actor–musician with the theatre company Metropopolare, contributing original music to several stage productions, including the widely performed children’s play Rosaspina, which toured extensively across Italy. In 2012 he began working with producer and drummer Andrea Franchi (Paolo Benvegnù), who produced his debut album Sono solo tre ore che aspetto, released in 2015. In 2018 he performed Il nostro concerto by Umberto Bindi for the short film Come la prima volta directed by Emanuela Mascherini, presented within the Venice Film Festival circuit and associated with the Nastri d’Argento awards. In 2019 he released the concept album 181, inspired by Piazza Mercatale in Prato and again produced by Andrea Franchi, featuring musicians such as Donald Renda (Annalisa, Tananai, Vasco Rossi) and Danilo Scuccimarra of The Bluebeaters. His latest record, L’estate spietata (2024), features ten songs recorded live in the studio with collaborators including drummer Bernardo Guerra (Stefano Bollani). His work blends songwriting with a cinematic sensibility, exploring the emotional and narrative possibilities of music across stage, screen, and recording.
Emanuela Mascherini is an actress, writer, and director. She graduated from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and from the New York Film Academy in Digital Filmmaking. She holds a degree in Political Science with a focus on media and communication and began working in theatre and television at a young age.
As an author, she explores themes related to female identity, receiving recognition and film option deals for her books.
Her works as a director and performer have been selected for the Nastri d’Argento (2017, 2019) and shortlisted for the David di Donatello (2019), winning awards at national and international festivals. Her projects in development have received support from the Italian Ministry of Culture and prestigious recognitions such as RIFF, the European Film Awards residency A Sunday in the Country, and the Berlinale program BerlinAiR 2022.
She is the founder and artistic director of CineAtelier, a festival dedicated to auteur cinema and the training of young filmmakers.
GAIA KIM BARTOLINI
MARIA RITA MONACO
Professor of Literature, Maria Rita Monaco was among the founders of the Laboratorio Immagine Donna in the late 1970s, through which she promoted film festivals until 2008. From 1981 to 1987, she served as an assistant in “Theory and Techniques of Mass Communication” under Professor Baldelli at the University of Florence. She has participated in film education and communication projects and curated various cineforums. She has actively collaborated with the Biblioteca delle Donne in Soverato and with the Equal Opportunities Commission of Catanzaro. Since 2008, she has been writing film and book reviews for Pensalibero.it.
Gaia Kim Bartolini is an Italian screenwriter working between Canada and the United States since 2007. After earning a degree in Medieval History from the University of Pisa, she moved to New York to study screenwriting at the New York Film Academy under Seth Michael Donsky.
Her graduation project, Depth of Sorrow, marked her first feature screenplay. After completing her studies, she relocated to Toronto, collaborating with CBC and contributing to the TV series Murdoch Mysteries (seasons 8 and 9).
In 2015 she signed a contract with Marvel Entertainment, working on the editing of several comic books. Since 2017 she has co-hosted the horror analysis podcast Devil’s in the Details. In 2020 she launched Beneath Your Skin, a podcast dedicated to horror and demonic possession narratives from a screenwriter’s perspective, and became co-host of Korean Queer Movies, focusing on queer themes in Korean cinema.
That same year she signed her first graphic novel, Rebirth of a Soul, written and developed in collaboration with British artist Zoe Burges. Since 2022 she has served as editor of the writing community website Foster and works as a freelance writer on television and science fiction for entertainment outlets. In 2024, he was officially selected for the Austin Film Festival with The Subtle Art, which in the same year became a semifinalist at the NY International Screenplay Festival.In 2025, she won the HorrorOrigins Film Festival with 14, and her short story In The Pines was published in the horror magazine Ghost Light Lit.
LORENZO SCELSI
FEDERICO FONTANA
Born in Florence, he attended the Historic Art Institute of Florence and specialized in the applied arts in general.
Since 2008, he has focused his experience in set design, exploring cinema, theater, events, and stage design, curating and designing solutions tailored to the needs and desired atmosphere.
By diversifying his experiences, he has had the opportunity to participate in notable projects and
events that have received awards, both in theater and film.
In 2025, he participated in the film "The Brutalist" - Silver Lion at the 2024 Venice Film Festival - Golden Globe Award 2025 - BAFTA Award 2025 - SAG Award 2025 - Nominations for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Production Design.
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/it/name/nm4816096/
Fontana a filmmaker from Florence, active since 2015, driven by a strong passion for visual storytelling and the creation of emotionally engaging videos. His work focuses on transforming ideas and stories into compelling images.
He has collaborated on documentaries, short films, and promotional videos, working on projects that vary widely in style and purpose. This diverse experience has allowed him to refine both his technical and creative skills.
His approach aims to highlight the authenticity of each story and to create content that moves, communicates, and leaves a lasting impact on the audience.
PABLO SUYON
ANDREA SCOTTO ROSATO
Scotto Rosato is a videomaker active since 2023, driven by a strong interest in visual storytelling as a means of conveying emotions and meaning. Through the camera, he seeks to explore stories and atmospheres with the aim of creating an authentic connection between images and the viewer.
His work spans various fields, from the production of promotional content to the creation of short films and documentaries. This diversity allows him to engage with different visual languages and adapt his creative approach accordingly.
He is guided by a constant curiosity that leads him to experiment with different techniques and styles, in search of new forms of expression. For him, videomaking is an ever-evolving field, rich with possibilities to explore and reinterpret through a personal perspective.
Graduate of the Escuela Nacional Superior de Arte Dramático (ENSAD – Peru), specializing in theatre pedagogy.
Theatre teacher for young people and children, as well as director and producer of various performances and socially oriented projects.
Has participated in several workshops with renowned companies and masters such as Familia Flöz and César Brie.
Has worked as an actor in international TV series in Italy and South America.
GIUSEPPE BARTOLINI
A History Professor Giuseppe Bartolini had spent hie career studyng and teaching about history of movie and Hollywood Golden Age. An Expert of the old Hollywood from the 40s to the 70s he wrotes articles, essays and critiques for Industries Magazines like Sentieri Selvaggi. More recently his interests led him to research and write about the Noir and Thriller Genres. Black and White movies will always be his passion. Nowadays he collaborates with Scuola di Cinema Immagina for many of their productions and write about movies and books for Pensalibero and Nuovo Giornale Nazionale.Amovies History Professor, Giuseppe Bartolini had spent his career studying and teaching about history of movies and the Hollywood Golden Age. An expert of the old Hollywood, from the 40s to the 70s, he wrote articles, essays and critiques for Industry Magazines like Sentieri Selvaggi.
More recently his interests led him to research and write about the Noir and Thriller genres. Black and white movies will always be his passion.
Nowadays he collaborates with Scuola di Cinema Immagina for many of their productions and writes about movies and books for Pensalibero and il Nuovo Giornale Nazionale.