The 21st Edition of the Religion Today Film Festival–an international review of cinema, religion and society–took place from 4-11 October. The event, which this year investigated the beliefs and values of the younger generations, highlighted the needs of the Millennials (the generation of media users born between 1980-2000), who are coping with the rapid processes of change and transformation taking place in contemporary society. Divided between the digital revolution and the economic-labor crisis, in a fluid and unstable socio-cultural context, Millennials need to be resistant, flexible and creative. The Festival’s journey to discover their world, so different from that of the preceding generation, transformed the event into a magnifying glass for interpreting the plurality of expressions of the Faith and the experience of its human dimension through the evocative power of images and suggestive music.
The 62 films in competition, selected from 450 entries sent in by 28 countries, opened spaces for reflection and debate on the beliefs and values of the younger generation, as well as histories of migration and interreligious dialogue, without forgetting the female gaze with regard to religions and the role of women in the peacebuilding process. The film screenings alternated with concerts, stage performances, literary events and prayer sessions between representatives of different faiths.