Original Coverage & Source Attribution: monacolife.net
The 23rd Monte-Carlo Film Festival de la Comédie opened at the Grimaldi Forum on Wednesday 11th November with a world premiere about artificial intelligence, and its jury wasted little time turning the spotlight on what AI could mean for the people in front of the camera.
Leonardo Pieraccioni’s new film, Un weekend artificiale, was screened out of competition to a full house in the Salle Camille Blanc ahead of its release in Italian cinemas on 12th November. Festival creator and director Ezio Greggio then introduced this year’s jury to the press: jury president Fausto Brizzi, alongside Vanessa Incontrada, Yvonne Sciò and Paul Belmondo.
Jury voices concerns over artificial intelligence on screen
Brizzi said Italian and international cinema were both thriving this autumn, but the conversation quickly moved to AI, which he has used to shoot scenes in his own upcoming film.
“You can’t tell the real scenes apart from those made with AI. It’s both a marvel and a warning we must keep firmly in mind,” said Brizzi.
Greggio warned that the boundary between real and synthetic performance is wearing thin, arguing that actors should keep performing as they always have and suggesting that theatre may now be the most authentic stage left to them.
The actors on the panel shared his caution. Incontrada insisted that acting must stay “very human” and said she would think carefully before taking on a film in which part of her role was generated by AI. Sciò described the technology as both fascinating and frightening. “It’s like a leap into the unknown,” she said.
Belmondo contrasted digital fabrication with the dangerous stunts performed by his father, Jean-Paul, observing that artificial filmmaking “takes away all the emotion of reality and the pleasure of making cinema”. He also urged filmmakers to verify every detail in their research so that errors do not slip through AI tools.
Luc Besson and Sergio Castellitto headline Saturday’s awards gala
The festival, held under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II and the Embassy of Italy, concludes on Saturday 14th November with the Grand Awards Gala at the Grimaldi Forum from 7pm. Tickets cost €50 and are available on the festival’s website.
French director Luc Besson will receive the Legend MCFF Award, while Italian actor and director Sergio Castellitto will be honoured for his career. Incontrada and Brizzi will also receive special awards for their work across film, television and comedy, and Greggio will be presented with a career prize by Gente editor-in-chief Umberto Brindani to mark four decades in entertainment, spanning Drive In, Striscia la notizia and The Silence of the Hams.
The ceremony will also spotlight social cinema, honouring producer Guglielmo Marchetti for Paola Randi’s Se domani non torno, a film inspired by the femicide of Giulia Cecchettin, alongside a new prize for best short film and a live performance by Italian singer-songwriter Yuman.
From left to right: Fausto Brizzi, Yvonne Sciò, Ezio Greggio, Vanessa Incontrada and Paul Belmondo. Main photo Credit: Chiappalone – MCFF
