History
The festival’s true strength lies in the bond – or pact – it shares with its audience, which is, in truth, more than just an audience: it is a genuine community. With the decline of twentieth-century political structures, between the 1970s and 1980s, festivals of all kinds – film, literature, philosophy, theatre – took the place of political parties, or rather of the social life they fostered through gatherings, debates and shared worldviews. Opportunities for learning and ‘live’ experiences of reality that not even the terrible wave of Covid has stopped: it is an almost poignant need in the digital age, yet one that remains alive and fruitful, perhaps in Bari more than anywhere else. The Bif&st is not held in the name of a misunderstood glamour, but of the encounter between filmmakers and the audiences who have always flocked to its screenings and masterclasses, seeking not merely generic ‘discoveries’ on the screen but a cultural framework with which to engage.
Oscar Iarussi
Founded in the winter of 2009, the Bif&st – Bari International Film Festival is directed by the journalist and film critic Oscar Iarussi and produced by the Apulia Film Commission on behalf of the Puglia Region, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, and in collaboration with the Municipality of Bari, the University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, the Bari Chamber of Commerce, the Regional Education Office for Puglia, as well as numerous other private partners who choose to invest in culture and audience development through the festival every year.
Over the years, Bif&st has become one of the most significant cultural events linked to the cinema, not only locally but also nationally and internationally. Breathtaking venues and huge public turnout have made the Festival one of the most eagerly awaited events for film enthusiasts, industry professionals and artists alike. Following the long and prestigious 15-year tenure of its founder, Felice Laudadio, in October 2024 the Regional Council of Puglia appointed Oscar Iarussi as the Festival’s new artistic director, envisaging an innovative path for the future of Bif&st, whilst maintaining substantial continuity with the formula conceived and developed over the previous 15 years.