ARTISTIC DIRECTION
Achille Schiavone – I was born in Turin in 1972 from parents emigrated from Montaguto (AV), a small village in the Irpine mountains. My being Queer activist has gone through various phases, including the participation in the Circolo Maurice LGBTQ of Turin (which, among the many activities, allowed me to experiment in the role of group facilitator with the sociodramatic methodology) and the TurinOrto group of urban horticulture (which opened me to the world of permaculture and the change of perspective on the plant world). Since I was a child, sometimes following my mother at work, I have been in contact with many people with psycho-physical diversabilities an extraordinary experience of growth experienced in childhood. I am passionate about cinema, I work at university as professor of animal nutrition and I live with two fabulous cats: Leo and Brio.
Murat Cinar – Murat Cinar is a journalist, videomaker and freelance photographer. After studying Economics in Turkey, in 2002 he moved to Italy, where he specialized in shooting and video editing, photography and journalism. He collaborates with several Turkish newspapers, including KaosGL, BiaNet and Sendika.org, and with newspapers, news agencies and Italian radio stations such as Pressenza, Caffe dei Giornalisti, Il Manifesto, Radio Onda d’Urto, Radio Onda Rossa and Radio Blackout. He wrote “A Guide to Understanding Turkey’s Contemporary History” (Simple 2016) and “Every Place Is Taksim” (Rosenberg & Sellier 2018), with Deniz Yücel.
Veet Sandeh – Born in 1964 in Catania and moved to her adopted city Turin in 1979. Queer activist for over 30 years and eclectic artist. She has experience in theatre, dance and cinema with the production of her docudrama “Metamorfosi, la strada dell’eccesso porta al palazzo della saggezza” which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2015. Specialist in holistic disciplines and meditation teacher. Lives with her fabulous poodle Gina.
COLLABORATORS
Tosca Cellini – social media manager. Born in 1999, graduate in Communication Sciences at the University of Turin. He joins Arcigay Torino 2017 where he manages social communication, is part of the board of directors and is an active member of the training group.
Riccardo Zucaro – press office. Born in 1987, a copywriter and press officer, since 2014 he has been working in the Third Sector. In his free time, he waters the plants on his balcony, cooks vegan dishes, and harshly criticizes capitalism. He’s a devoted fan of the ə.
Susi Monzali – Susi likes to open windows and cause drafts that mess up hair and ideas. Working around the world has the opportunity to get to know people and experiences, including bridges, exchanges, mixes. This is what makes independent cinema that crosses borders, changes old paradigms, mixes languages by overcoming stereotypes, generating new imaginations, highlighting realities in the shade, offering new horizons. For her, Divine Queer Film Fest is a good ground for experiments of cultural hybridization.
Simone Li Gregni – digital content manager. Turin – 1980, graduate in Intercultural Communication and passionate about photography for many years, thanks to his studies he begins to conceive the image as a tool to study and understand the other. He experiments and implements this approach in all his photojournalism.
GIURIA
Monica Affatato, born in Turin, studied opera singing at the Turin Conservatory. Since ’96, she has been working in cinema, participating in film productions as an assistant director and producer, as well as a writer, particularly in the realm of documentary filmmaking with works such as “Il reduce” and “Tutti mi chiedono da dove vengo nessuno vuol sapere chi sono”. She co-directed “La Voce Stratos” (2009) alongside Luciano d’Onofrio.
Antonia Iaia – Born in Bacoli in 1962, she is a set designer and actress. She studied set design in Naples and classical dance in Rome. She has worked as a costume designer for Enzo Moscato and as an actress for the Falso Movimento group, with roles in shows such as “Otello” and “Coltelli nel cuore” directed by Mario Martone. She has also acted in films such as “L’odore del sangue” and “Segni particolari – appunti per un film sull’Emilia Romagna”. In the nineties, she worked as a PR and art director for nightclubs. She is one of the protagonists of the film “Le favolose” by Roberta Torre.
Gigi Malaroda– A graduate in Latin American History, he started his career as a teacher in Italian schools and later became a lecturer at the University of Mexico City. A political activist since adolescence, he has been involved in the LGBTQ+ movement since the late 1970s, particularly during the “collective season” and as part of the editorial team of “Lambda”. He took part in the founding of Arcigay in ’85 and of the longest-standing association in Turin in this field, the Maurice GLBTQ, of which he is an honorary President. He has authored several volumes, especially of a historical nature, and has always worked at the Library and Documentation Center of Maurice.
Deka Mohamed – She is a visual artist, photographer, and videomaker of Italian-Somali descent. She graduated from IED and obtained a master’s degree from the International Center of Photography in New York in New Media Storytelling. She worked as a photojournalist for “Il Corriere Della Sera” in Turin. Aspiring to become a director, she produced the 2023 campaign for the Teatro Regio. She was nominated by the World Press Photo Foundation for the Joop Swart Masterclass in 2020. She directed the film “Bufis,” the first drama shot in Eastleigh, Nairobi. Currently, she is an Assistant Director on the film “Samia,” based on the story of Olympic athlete Samia Yusuf Omar.
Giosuè Prezioso – A professor and researcher with international experience, currently serving as the Director of Studies at Unicollege University in Turin. After studying in America, he specialized at Christie’s and obtained his doctorate and specialization at the University of Reading and Harvard Graduate School. He has taught courses at international institutions and is the first in Italy to introduce crypto art into academic circles, publishing articles on the topic. He was the architect of the first academic NFT library and auction and of the university’s involvement in the metaverse.
GIURIA ARCI/UCCA
Massimiliano De Serio – A renowned director and artist, he has collaborated with his brother Gianluca since 1999, creating successful works such as “Spaccapietre” and “Sette opere di misericordia,” which have been awarded at prestigious festivals like Venice and Locarno. He is a respected cinema lecturer, with experience at prestigious institutions such as NABA and the University of Turin. He has conducted workshops worldwide and co-founded Il Piccolo Cinema in 2012.
Gemma Mercurio – Born in the hinterland of Bari in ’84, she has had experiences in Canada and the USA. After studying “Psychiatric Rehabilitation Techniques”, she actively participated in Arci, founding the circle “Capafresca” in 2009. In 2014, she became a member of the presidency of Arci Bari and BAT, focusing efforts on the environment and social issues. She has fought against projects such as nuclear energy and the TAP pipeline in Puglia, and promoted policies against gender-based violence and educational poverty. A member of the national council of UCCA since 2018, she is now the coordinator of the gender equality commission, continuing her social and political commitment.
Francesca Perlini – President of the Arci Gardenia Circle in Reggio Emilia. Member of the presidency of Arci Reggio Emilia. National councilor for Arci and UCCA. Coordinator of the summer arena in Reggio Emilia for 11 years. Among the founders of La Ghirba del piacere, a transfeminist collective from Reggio Emilia, and curator of the Colpetti Film Festival, a film festival focusing on niche pleasures, eroticism, and pornography.