Official Selection
RUGIADA DI VITA (DEW OF LIFE)
'Dew of Life' is an affectionate portrait of the 97-year-old painter Maria Picardi Coliac, affectionately called Mimma by her intimate few.
Maria Picardi Coliac was born in Barletta in 1926, the daughter of Vincenzo and Anna Scotti. From childhood she showed a marked inclination for art, encouraged by her father, a skilled draughtsman. At the age of eight, she was entrusted to the care of the painter Vincenzo De Stefano, whose studio became a fundamental training ground for her until the master's death in 1942. Despite her excellence in the arts, she also took on other challenges, attending grammar school and classical high school, and experimenting with various activities such as sports, music, embroidery and poetry.
After the death of her teacher, Maria Picardi Coliac immersed herself completely in the world of art, attending further painting studies in Barletta and later enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and Naples. Despite the pressures of family and society, she continued on her artistic path. In 1951, she married Leopoldo Coliac and had two daughters, continuing to paint and study art.
In the following years, Maria Picardi Coliac distinguished herself as a painter, participating in numerous exhibitions and winning important prizes and awards. She became a member of various artistic and cultural institutions, dedicating part of her works and energy to humanitarian and social causes. His artistic career is characterised by a wide range of techniques and styles, but oil remains his favourite.
Her art is characterised by a harmonious fusion of classical tradition and modernity, with lively brush strokes and a delicate palette.
Over the years, Maria Picardi Coliac has continued to be a prominent figure on the art scene, exhibiting in important national and foreign museums and receiving prestigious awards.
Her dedication to art and her social and cultural commitment make her an admired and respected figure both locally and internationally.
Maria Picardi Coliac was born in Barletta in 1926, the daughter of Vincenzo and Anna Scotti. From childhood she showed a marked inclination for art, encouraged by her father, a skilled draughtsman. At the age of eight, she was entrusted to the care of the painter Vincenzo De Stefano, whose studio became a fundamental training ground for her until the master's death in 1942. Despite her excellence in the arts, she also took on other challenges, attending grammar school and classical high school, and experimenting with various activities such as sports, music, embroidery and poetry.
After the death of her teacher, Maria Picardi Coliac immersed herself completely in the world of art, attending further painting studies in Barletta and later enrolling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and Naples. Despite the pressures of family and society, she continued on her artistic path. In 1951, she married Leopoldo Coliac and had two daughters, continuing to paint and study art.
In the following years, Maria Picardi Coliac distinguished herself as a painter, participating in numerous exhibitions and winning important prizes and awards. She became a member of various artistic and cultural institutions, dedicating part of her works and energy to humanitarian and social causes. His artistic career is characterised by a wide range of techniques and styles, but oil remains his favourite.
Her art is characterised by a harmonious fusion of classical tradition and modernity, with lively brush strokes and a delicate palette.
Over the years, Maria Picardi Coliac has continued to be a prominent figure on the art scene, exhibiting in important national and foreign museums and receiving prestigious awards.
Her dedication to art and her social and cultural commitment make her an admired and respected figure both locally and internationally.
Official Selection
Crossroads
Malcolm Reid, a devoted Caribbean financier, learns he has been fired for a mistake he did not make—just after he picks up Elaine Thomas, a sharp-witted lawyer, for their first date. While he struggles with the weight of his family's reliance on him, Elaine—skeptical of relationships after years of disappointment—finds herself drawn to his quiet resilience. As their conversation deepens in the intimacy of Malcolm's car, what starts as an awkward blind date turns into a moment of vulnerability, connection, and unexpected possibilities.
